Soft Drink Companies: Soda Pop

We rely on many forms of media to dictate our attitudes to popular culture: movies, music, television, clothing. One of the most powerful means of shaping that culture, though, is advertising. Because advertising plays such an omnipresent role in our lives, paradoxically, we tend to forget that it exists, even as it influences what we watch, listen to, and perhaps most importantly, purchase.

No industry knows better than the soft drink market how vital maintaining a concrete identity is to moving product off the shelves. Most people can readily recite soda slogans from the past ten years and even beyond, whether they buy the products or not. Indeed, catchphrases like "You’ve got the right one, baby," "Do the Dew," and "Dr. Pepper—You make the world taste better" have entered the pop culture lexicon as easily as any #1 song. And as if blending slogans with popular music hasn’t proven a powerful enough strategy, Pepsi has led the way in creating a series of video advertisements for performers like Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, and Britney Spears that further confuses the genres.

Naturally, soft drink web sites devote most of their space to defining their accomplishments, bragging about their status among consumers, and selling gear emblazoned with their logo. Beyond all the showmanship, however, you can find interesting historical tidbits (Pepsi actually debuted with the exciting moniker, Brad’s Drink), games, contests to vote for your favorite flavors, and even opportunities to win cash prizes. So whether you’re a pop culture scholar or just a curious soda drinker craving the lowdown on your carbonated beverage of choice, check out some of the most aggressive online marketing out there.