316. She Likes To Teach the World to Sing: SUPERSTAR NORA AUNOR FOR COKE, 1972

One of Coca-Cola’s most globally successful and popular advertising campaign was launched in 1971, conceived by McCann-Erickson executive Bill Backer. While in an airport in Ireland waiting for his next flight, he saw people in a huddle, chatting and laughing while having their Cokes. Inspired by the sight, he wrote “I’d like to buy the world a Coke..” on a table napkin. He discussed the lyrics with songwriter Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, who set the words to a tune that they had used before for a song “True Love and Apple Pie” and ha the folk group the New Seekers record it as a Coke radio jingle.

THE NEW SEEKERS' VERSION "I'd Like to Teach The World to Sing"

THE HILLSIDE SINGERS COKE VERSION:

The jingle became a monster hit for the New Seekers (it reached the Billboard Top 15) that a TV commercial was produced entitled “Hilltop” . The band couldn’t make it to the shoot so a new group, The Hillside Singers,  were tapped to sing the Coke version of the song. 

WATCH "I'D LIKE TO BUY THE WORLD A COKE" TV HERE:

The commercial featured a group of  young people from all walks of life, coming together on a hilltop, while holding their Coke and singing to this new version  of  “‘I’d Like To Teach the World to Sing  (In Perfect Harmony). The Hillside Singers earned a Gold Record award from the Recording Industry Association of America. In addition to creating chart-busting records, the Coca Cola campaign went down in history as one of the greatest marketing campaigns of all time.

 NORA AUNOR VERSION "I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing"

The ‘Hilltop’ campaign was aired in the Philippines, but a local adaptation of the campaign was done by McCann Erickson in 1972 featuring superstar Nora Aunor no less--then at the pinnacle of her career. 

She did a full-tri media campaign, supported by sales promotions (Coke gave away autographed pictures of Guy and her Coke), and music marketing on radio via a full song recording of the hit jingle “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”, that was included in one of her long-playing albums under Alpha Records. 

Of course, three years later, she was singing a different tune. Coke was no longer it for Guy—she was having her Pepsi Day!

 

SOURCES:

https://www.wideopencountry.com/, 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing': The Story Behind the Classic Coca-Cola Jingle,

Youtube: “ The New Seekers - I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing 1972 with Lyrics”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWKznrEjJK4, uploaded by islander8

Youtube: Hilltop Remastered, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2406n8_rUw, uploaded by the Coca Cola Company, 4 April 2016. 

Youtube: “I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (1972) by Nora Aunor (HD)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VJ3hz-nXCQ, uploaded by Edgar Ebro Videokeking2018 on 5 June 2019.

Hillside Singers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASe7ioPis6I, Uploaded by Lorri Hafer, 7 Aug. 2015

The Hillside Singers, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hillside_Singers