Coca-Cola’s Happy Animation Adventures
On the gloomiest of days I could always rely on Coca-Cola’s ‘Open Happiness’, animated commercials, to provide some sunny escapism from the day-to-day realities of life.
Commercials that would always make me chuckle at the imaginations of conceptualizers that seemed to be on steroids at Advertising Agencies Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, W+K Portland, Oregon, and Ogilvy, Buenos Aires.
I derived much viewing pleasure from the epic and energetic ‘Happiness Factory’ series of commercials, and the whimsical and famed ‘Coca-Cola Polar Bears’.
1. Coca-Cola, Happiness Factory Full Movie
Advertising Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This 12 minutes long ‘Happiness Factory Full Movie’, features the Emmy award-winning campaign about the phantasmagorical goings-on Coca-Cola vending machines set in motion.
The series of commercials, directed by Todd & Kylie at Psyop Productions, USA, and Peter Lydon at Hungry Man Productions, is a live action and animation extravaganza of delightful viewing.
2. Coca-Cola, The Great Happyfication
Advertising Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The six minutes long ‘Great Happyfication’ commercial is the closing chapter of the ‘Happiness Factory’ series. Directed by Todd & Kylie at Psyop Productions in collaboration with Commercial and Music Video production company, Smuggler, the animated musical, makes for memorable and highly entertaining viewing.
The soundtrack is by ‘The Human Music Company’ and composers Edmond Dunne, Timothy Moore, Andrew Bloch and Morgan Visconti.
3. Coca-Cola Zero, Happy Kingdom
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Directed by Pete Candeland of Passion Pictures Animation Production Company, the ‘Happy Kingdom’ commercial is an energetic, visual pastiche of fairy-tale parodies that makes for foot-stomping viewing.
The great soundtrack is ‘Canned Love’ by PowerSolo, the rock-and-roll Railthin Brothers duo, known for their unique music compositions, and distinctive sound.
4. Coca-Cola, Siege
Advertising Agency: Wieden +Kennedy, Portland, Oregon, USA
Animation and Design: Nexus Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA
CGI/Animation: Framestore Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA
This delightful phantasy, and indulgent animators’ extravaganza, includes a fire-spitting dragon, and plays out against a soundtrack by composer/arranger Robert Miller, that features elements of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
5. Coca-Cola, The Polar Bears
Advertising Agency: Creative Artists (CAA) Marketing, London, UK
Polar bears have appeared in Coca-Cola print advertising since 1922 in France, and in commercials since 1993, with the ‘Always Coca-Cola’ campaign.
Ken Steward, Director of Creative Services for the film division of Columbia Pictures, was hired by Coca Cola in the 90’s to develop a new advertising concept for Coca- Cola Classic.
He came up with the idea of a ‘Disneyesque’ series of animated commercials, featuring Pole Bears, and made history when in 2011, the iconic Coca-Cola Polar Bears were inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame, and in November 2000, when the Coca-Cola Polar Bear campaign was installed into the United States Library of Congress.
Produced by Ridly and Tony Scott, and directed by John Stevenson of ‘Kung Fu Panda’ fame, the 2013 Coca-Cola mini-movie, provides an inside look into the Polar bear family that has been one of the beloved symbols of the brand for 90 years.
Zoe Howorth, marketing director for Coca-Cola Great Britain was quoted at the time as saying:
“We are excited to be bringing back a much-loved Coca-Cola icon this New Year. The animated polar bears epitomise the cheerful, heart-warming atmosphere that Coca-Cola is hoping to bring to many families this winter.” (Source: Ads of the World)
6. Coca-Cola, The Polar Bowl Catch
Advertising Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Oregon, USA
Coca-Cola’s Big Game ‘Catch’ commercial for the 2012 Super Bowl Football Championship Between the New York Giants and New England Patriots in Indianapolis, Indiana, was part of an innovative, live stream campaign.
With the help of New York based Framestore Studios, Sydney-based Animal Logic and Digital Agency 360i, Wieden+Kennedy were able to control the reactions of the featured Coca-Cola Polar bears to all the plays on the field, in real time.
7. Coca-Cola, Puffin Rescue
Advertising Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Oregon, USA
The New York based 360i Digital Agency brought this charming Wieden+Kennedy, 2018 TV commercial to life about a Puffin amusingly trying to uncap his Coke. Happily the Coca-Cola Polar Bears are at hand to offer assistance.