Strategy 1: Make your sources speak

Source used : Coca-Cola : An illustrated History - Watters

Watters writes of a interesting fact about Coca-Cola advertisement in one of his chapter, "Coca-Cola Advertising Strategies." He claims that Coca-Cola (advertisement) is an escape from reality, as he writes, "The concept was of relaxation, escape from reality" (Watters 228). He writes of three revealing strategies that Coca-Cola used, in the time of World War II, those of which led to its prosperity; Massengale approach, D'Arcy approach, and Santa Clause's on-time debut.

This is a quotation from the Massengale Approach section of the chapter:

"...elegant ladies and gentlemen on the beautifully printed posters... showing them most often drinking Coca-Cola in elegant surroundings, or playing at what in those days were rich people's sports - golf, tennis, and resort swimming ... if one spent a nickel for an ice-cold Coca-Cola, he or she was, during a brief pause, enjoying the same thing the rich and celebrated did" (Watters 218).

This is a quotation from D'Arcy Approach section of the chapter:

"...theme was maintained: Pleasant people in pleasant places doing pleasant things as a pleasant nation went pleasantly on its course. ... pretty girls and wholesome young men in the ads enjoyed themselves playing at games once reserved for the rich, including a very pretty girl wearing a discreetly daring tank bathing suit" (Watters 218-222)

This is a quotation about debut of Santa Clause:

"...Santa Clause smiling down from billboards, ho-ho-ho, saying "My hat's off to the Pause that Refreshes." Pleasant people in their pleasant homes had the "When You Entertain" booklets to make home even more pleasant" (Watters 223).
" Artist Haddon Sundblom's 1942 Santa Clause poster, allowing on-the-wing hint that World War II was going on" (Watters 223).

These quotations play a important role in my synthesis essay because now I know that Coca-Cola's largest ad strategy was to "pause" people from the crisis, World War II, and to "refresh." It is interesting to see what specific strategies they used, such as suggesting woman in a bathing suit, celebrities, and Santa Clause, because they all allow nervous at-war people to "pause, go refreshed."

Watters writes that the goal of Coca-Cola's ads was to "[promote] goals in the early years, easy to spot, such as making the drink a year-round habit ("Any time, anywhere," Thirst Knows No Season.")
However, he also suggests Santa Clause as effective way of advertising for Coca-Cola.
Therefore, I will be able to criticize his oxymoronic statement.