The history of Coca-Cola originated in 1886 when Dr. John Pemberton sold the first bottle at a pharmacy in Atlanta. The refreshing and delicious taste of the drink made it an instant favorite, and it had a selling price of five cents per glass. Called a soda fountain drink, the brand began gaining traction through advertisem*nts in the Atlanta Journal. During its first year, Coca-Cola sold nine bottles each day, but today, it sells 1.9 billion bottles a day. With a valuation of $87.6 billion, Coca-Cola is one of the most popular beverage brands in the world. Through its iconic advertisem*nts, commercials, and endorsem*nt deals, it continues to engage audiences to continue buying its drinks. The commercials date back to the 1950s, with several A-list celebrities associating with the brand today. From Marilyn Monroe’s never released commercial to Selena Gomez’s iconic Instagram photo that broke the internet, let’s take a look at the biggest celebs Coca-Cola has worked with.
9 LeBron James
LeBron James has a long list of brand endorsem*nts, and one of his most successful partnerships was with Coca-Cola. It was the first brand to sign a deal with James after he was drafted into the NBA in 2003. Since then, he starred in several commercials and print ads before ending the partnership in 2021 after 18 years and shaking hands with Pepsi.
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8 Taylor Swift
After the success of Red in 2012, Taylor Swift was signed as one of the endorses the following year. The brand also used her hit single 22 for their commercials featuring the star. Until 2014, Swift starred in multiple commercials, with one being shot in her hometown of Nashville. The singer specifically endorsed the Diet co*ke product.
7 Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an icon in every way, from her influence on pop culture throughout the years to her timeless fashion moments. In 1953, the actress starred in a co*ke campaign that remained in the archives until the original photos were released in 2018. The vintage advertisem*nt featured Monroe wearing a red outfit and lounging near a pool, bringing nostalgia to its older customers.
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6 Selena Gomez
In 2016, Selena Gomez became the most followed person on Instagram, with a following of 89.9 million then. Coca-Cola signed her as its brand endorser to reach a broader and younger audience. She posted a photo of herself with a bottle of co*ke that had her song lyrics printed on them which became the most-liked photo back then. The retro photo has been considered one of the most iconic promotions.
5 Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley has been a global icon since the beginning of his career, so it was not a surprise that Coca-Cola wanted its biggest marketing campaign to feature the King of Pop. To commemorate the 100 years of Coca-Cola, the brand launched a ‘Kissed By’ campaign with the tagline ‘I’ve been kissed by Elvis,’ meaning the distinctive bottle has been a celebrity favorite. The campaign blew up internationally, with Belgium and Holland releasing life-size Billboards of Elvis and Coca-Cola.
4 Avicii
Coca-Cola has partnered with Avicii on several global projects since 2011 and has created a variety of anthems that resonated with audiences everywhere. For the UEFA EURO 2016, the late DJ/music composer partnered with singer Conrad Sewell for an anthem. The pair released Taste The Feeling, which became a phenomenon everywhere. Coca-Cola has also used Avicii’s Hey Brother for a different campaign.
3 Jason Derulo
Jason Derulo returned to mainstream success with his hits Swalla and Tip Toe in 2017. The success caught the eye of the Global Marketing team at Coca-Cola, who brought him on board to create the official 2018 FIFA Anthem for the soft drink. As Coca-Cola has been a long-standing FIFA partner, the song Colors was released in April 2018 to much success.
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2 Matt LeBlanc
At the peak of his career in the Friends era, Matt LeBlanc had many brand endorsem*nts under his name, including Coca-Cola. To promote the tagline ‘You Can’t Beat The Feeling,’ the brand released a commercial starring him in 1990, which showed the star waiting at a bus stop behind a Coca-Cola billboard. The soft drink helps him beat the sweltering heat in the unique ad before he hails a bus.
1 Selena
Once the advertising industry realized the power of the Latin community in America, many brands had celebrities from the community endorse their products. The Queen of Tejano, Selena was Coca-Cola’s face from the 80s until her unfortunate death in 1995. One of her most iconic commercials has the singer dancing and tuning to the Coca-Cola Classic anthem, as stated by PopSugar.
Other celebrities working with Coca-Cola include Michael Jordan, Steve Harvey, and Rita Ora. Through its ads and promotions, the brand finds a large following through celebrity social media accounts and follows dynamic market trends to maintain its legacy in the industry.
Sources: Bleacher Report, Vogue, Billboard, PopSugar
