Marketing Interactive’s piece on Coca-Cola’s recent ‘Classic’ creative featured a variety of views on the the role and effectiveness of the campaign. You can read the article here, and a below is an extended version of the response shared by Senior Consultant, Graham Hitchmough …
There’s much to like in Coca-Cola’s new ‘Classic’ campaign. It’s subtle, understated, and stylishly executed, leaning into the brand’s legacy as a cultural icon and literary reference point. But, like the product itself, it may be more of a quick sugar rush than something truly substantial.
That Coca-Cola has played a significant role in arts and culture over the decades is undeniable. It’s a role that’s been nuanced, and laden with meaning – both positive and negative – sometimes symbolic, sometimes satirical, sometimes affectionate. Name-checking Coca-Cola’s presence in a somewhat random selection of literary works might initially appear to carry cultural weight, but without deeper context, it ultimately feels a little flat. The references, possibly gathered with the help of AI, suggest more surface-level curation than deep engagement.
Still, the approach aligns with Coca-Cola’s broader strategy. Under the “Real Magic” platform, the brand has been steering away from always-on, tactical campaigns in favour of fewer, more high-impact efforts designed to hit emotional notes more deeply. Importantly, Coca-Cola has also become increasingly deliberate about segmenting its emotional appeal.
Recent revivals of “Share a Coke” have been carefully tailored to resonate with Gen Z and Gen Alpha – generations for whom the original campaign is a retro novelty rather than a lived experience. Meanwhile, this ‘Classic’ campaign clearly leans into Gen X nostalgia. It taps into the cultural touchpoints of readers who grew up with Coke as a backdrop to their formative years (but for whom the brand is no longer part of their repertoire) using the emotional weight of literature and memory to reawaken brand affection, and consideration.
In this sense, ‘Classic’ is less about mass engagement and more about selective emotional manipulation: reminding a particular generation of Coca-Cola’s place in their personal and cultural histories. It’s smart, and on some level, flattering piece of brand aggrandisement – inviting older audiences to see themselves as part of a more “classic” cultural lineage.
But it’s the resonance of the literary works themselves that do the heavy lifting, not Coca-Cola’s role within them. It’s fame by association, rather than necessarily by influence.
Could other brands pull this off with the same brash confidence and self-belief? Very few have the cultural clout to do so at this scale. In the US, Harley-Davidson and Budweiser have both mined their respective cinematic and musical histories to powerful effect. Closer to home, brands like Singapore Airlines have also drawn on historical and cultural contexts to deepen their emotional appeal. But nostalgia needs to be used with care, and always in tandem with contemporary relevance. In general, Coca-Cola succeeds not just because of its legacy, but because it knows how to repackage that legacy through current platforms, technologies, and experiences.
For lesser-known or newer brands, the risks of this type of abstract or symbolic messaging are far greater. Without strong brand recognition or cultural familiarity, minimalistic campaigns can come across as confusing, pretentious, or simply irrelevant. Mimicking the tone of legacy brands without the earned credibility can do more harm than good.
For these brands, creating emotional resonance starts with substance:
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Mine the real stories inspired by your brand, and build a mechanism to capture and use them over time.
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Stay anchored to your brand values, and don’t chase trends for the sake of it.
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Focus on clarity and consistency first. Trust and nuance can come later.
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Don’t try to be culturally universal from the outset. Instead, speak in a register that feels true to your own audience. Brands like Glossier, Aesop, and Oatly have built powerful emotional connections not through legacy, but through masterful management of voice, tone, and intimacy.
Coca-Cola’s ‘Classic’ campaign is a reminder that emotional resonance, cultural relevance, and brand legacy are powerful tools, when used with care. It shows how a brand with deep cultural roots can afford to be abstract, even self-referential, and still strike a chord with the right audience. But it also highlights the risk of mistaking familiarity for meaning. Legacy alone doesn’t guarantee emotional depth. Whether you are a century-old icon or a new challenger, true brand strength still depends on building real stories, authentic connections, and contemporary relevance, one thoughtful activation at a time.