20,000 Coke Ads Go to Library of Congress

A T L A N T A, Nov. 29, 2000 -- The Library of Congress is getting a Coke and asmile.

Coca-Cola Co. is donating all 20,000 of its TV commercialspromoting the sweet soft drink for preservation at the library. Thegift is worth $1 million.

The five-decade collection will include classics such as the1971 “hilltop” ad, featuring the peace-and-love ditty, “I’d liketo teach the world to sing,” and the 1979 heartwarmer that said,“Have a Coke and a Smile.”

Valuable Bits of History

Old TV ads are valuable bits of history that often are ignored,said Patrick Loughney, head of the moving-image section of thelibrary. But unlike many companies, Coke is a pack rat when itcomes to commercials. Loughney called Coke’s archive among the bestin corporate America.

The donation is part of Coke’s celebration of the 50thanniversary of its first TV ads. Three vintage ads are running ontelevision again, and the library will make eight ads availableonline.

The donation will arrive in Washington over three to five yearsas the company digitizes the ads.

‘Clunkers and Classics’

It isn’t a selective process. “We’re giving the clunkers away with the classics,” saidStephen Jones, chief marketing officer.

The Coke donation will join the library’s collection of TV adsthat includes the Miller Brewing Co.’s “Tastes Great — LessFilling” spots for Lite beer.

One of the more famous Coke pitchmen, former Pittsburgh Steelersdefensive tackle “Mean” Joe Greene, said today he had no ideahis Coke commercial would be one day be considered a classic.

“It’s incredible the life that the commercial has had,” Greenesaid. “It’s been very, very special to me and for me.”

Teaching Diversity

In other Coke news, the company said today it will donate $1.5million to establish an Atlanta-based academy to help trainbusiness and government leaders to better manage diversity issues.

The Diversity Leadership Academy of Atlanta will operate as partof the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia StateUniversity through 2005. It will be run by Roosevelt Thomas, whoalso heads the Atlanta-based American Institute for ManagingDiversity.

On Nov. 16, Coke agreed to pay about $192.5 million to settle aracial discrimination lawsuit filed last year by eight current andformer black employees. The company also said it would donate $50million to its foundation to fund social programs in minoritycommunities.

One of the lawsuit’s chief complaints was that managers at thesoft-drink giant did not evaluate or promote black workers fairlyand that it is difficult for blacks to advance in the corporation.

Righting a Wrong?“We are establishing the Diversity Leadership Academy ofAtlanta because we believe in diversity, we believe in ourcommunity and we believe that, as a community, not only can we dobetter, we can be the best,” Coke Chairman Douglas Daft saidtoday in a speech to the Commerce Club.

The program, which will include five days of instruction overfive months, will be open to managers from government, education,businesses and nonprofit organizations. About 35 to 40 people willbe chosen for each session, with participants attending onfellowships.

Coke’s funding is expected to cover about 350 academy students.