10 Iconic Coca-Cola TV Ads That Prove Vintage Commercials Are The Best

You're going to want to see these.

Watching television these days has vastly improved from decades past, and one could argue that it's all because of the commercials -- or lack thereof. Thanks to DVR and Netflix, those days are over. It's glorious. The only problem is that sometimes commercials are actually worth watching. Sometimes, they're actually heart-warming. And sometimes, they touch at the core of what is beautiful about humanity.

One of the most successful brands in doing so is Coca-Cola, and their 2013 ‘Brand Icon’ Award from Clio confirms we're not the only ones who feel this way.

Advertising on TV since the 1950s, Coca-Cola has produced multiple iconic ads. Some of them introduced jingles that we couldn't help but sing along to. Others may have even brought a tear to our eye. And all of them we'd happily sit through today.

We talked to the folks at Coke to see which of their hundreds of commercials they liked best throughout the ages. They shared with us a list of Coke's top 10 commercials based on the most successful campaigns they've had during the 60-plus years they've been running ads.

The list they put together is a treat to watch -- partly for the glimpse of life during another era, but mostly because these ads always managed to make us smile -- no matter how cheesy or dated they were.

1
One Hour In Wonderland (1950)
This was Coke's second television commercial. It was part of an hour-long promotion for Disney's Alice In Wonderland. We get a kick out of the message: Coke is hospitality. If only it were that easy.
2
Things Go Better With Coke (1963)
The jingle in this ad was sung by The Limelights and later came to be interpreted by countless other musicians including the Moody Blues, The Who, The Bee Gees, Aretha Franklyn, Ray Charles and others. The campaign ran for six years, which, according to the representatives at Coke, is "an eternity in advertising."
3
Hilltop (1971)
This ad has gotten the most awards of any Coke commercial -- and there's quite a story behind the making of it. The inspiration for it came when the creative director on the Coca-Cola account was redirected on an international flight. Many of the passengers were irate for the delay, but after a night's rest he found them all sitting together laughing while drinking Coke and eating snacks. He says in that moment he saw Coke not as "a liquid refresher -- but as a tiny bit of commonality between all peoples, a universally liked formula that would help to keep them company for a few minutes." And that's how this commercial came to be.
4
Country Sunshine (1971)
This was one of the first storytelling commercials Coke did with Bill Backer and Billy Davis (of the agency McCann). It came on the heels of "Hilltop" and was, as they say, "a powerful one/two punch of advertising."
5
Street Song 1976
The classic "Coke Adds Life" song done in a cappella was an instant success. The commercial and song were made by Burrell, Coke's first African American agency, and it was played around the world. Burrell said he once got a note from Norway saying that the ad had won an award there.
6
'Mean' Joe Greene (1979)
“Mean” Joe Greene was one of the most formidable defensemen in NFL history. The commercial won both a Clio and a Cannes Gold Lion -- and forever softened Joe Greene's tough-guy image.
7
First Time, First Kiss (1988)
The music was written by Robin Beck and became a worldwide musical hit for the artist -- she topped the charts in the UK for this song. Also, the commercial is incredibly cheesy, but manages to be equally cute too.
8
Always Coca-Cola (1993)
The jingle "Always Coca-Cola" still gets played today, and it all started here.
9
Polar Bears (1993)
Anyone who watches TV knows Coca-Cola's polar bears. They were loved immediately.
10
Christmas Caravan (1995)
Coca-Cola Santa ads are pretty much an essential part of the holiday season.

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