The Sounds of Coca-Cola

Based on an examination of the Coca-Cola commercial “Taste” (distributed the first time in 2015 as part of the “Open Happiness” campaign), this chapter explores how a commercial can “colonize” and “cultivate” generic territories of music, sound, and brand image. The chapter also examines how music and sound accomplish this in a brand’s pursuit of this emotional territory, whether or not this pursuit is successful or not, through a process of signification. The examination focuses on the textual organization of the commercial, including both transtextual and cotextual perspectives. The analysis also examines the relationship of music and other sound effects to the visual image in the commercial.