The 1960s Coca Cola advertisement begins with a scene of a woman working on a garment placed on a mannequin. The woman has coiffed hair and is wearing an apron, presenting simultaneously an image of femininity and domesticity. She turns to speak to the camera, creating the impression that she is speaking directly to the viewer, and says “this was me 5 years ago! and it’s still me!”, making reference to the waistline of the dress on the mannequin.
The key thrust of this advertisement for Coca Cola is that it keeps one thin. While the woman in the advertisement is speaking directly to the audience and vouching for the claims of the product, the setting goes a long way to support her claims as well. By placing the woman within a domestic setting, the advertisement is appealing to other women who may be watching the television advertisement at home in a similar situation. The woman in the commercial is in the middle of a domestic task and there is a chance that the audience is in a similar position as well.
The spokesperson then goes on to frame the product as the perfect break in between chores because it of its light caloric content and because it dissuades her from having a snack instead. This appeals to concerns of the time of maintaining a slim figure. The angles of the advertisement remain mostly the same but the slight differences in camera positioning hold significance. The advertisement begins and ends with the woman sat in front of her mannequin, making it seem like the section in the middle when she drinks the product is an actual break she is taking from her chores. She adopts a conversational style with the audience and is filmed leaning against a kitchen table where the product just so happens to be resting.
When she returns to her task, she makes a slight gesture to the camera to follow her. This places the viewer in the position of the camera and adds to the conversational and personable nature of the advertisement. The spokesperson is in the position of a friend or confidante who is sharing a helpful tip with the viewer. This breaking of the fourth wall makes the endorsement seem less like a traditional advertisement and makes it appear more trustworthy. There is no jingle in this advertisement, possibly subverting expectations for advertisements of the time. This makes it seem less professional and more homely, fitting perfectly with the key message of Coca Cola being a perfect product for the domestic homemaker who wants to take a quick break.
This advertisement plays on the gendered expectation of women to stay at home and to be good homemakers. The framing of the product as a “quick break” does not distract from the image of an industrious woman who is hardworking and productive. This industrious female homemaker must also remain sexually attractive as she is presumably a part of a heterosexual family unit. Therefore, there is great emphasis placed on her figure also being maintained through the consumption of Coca Cola.