“The holiday is coming to us”: how Coca-Cola advertising became a symbol of the New Year and why it is important for the auto business

Every December, city streets are illuminated with garlands, store windows shimmer with sparkles, and on TV it invariably sounds: “The holiday is coming to us!”. This phrase is from an advertisement Coca-Cola has become the same attribute of the New Year as the Christmas tree or Santa Claus. But few people think about how exactly this 1995 video turned into a cultural phenomenon - and why studying it is useful even for owners of car repair shops and spare parts stores.

In this article we will examine not only the history of advertising creation, but also marketing mechanisms, which made it eternal. You will learn how Coca-Cola connected her brand with the holiday at the subconscious level, what technical techniques were used during filming, and - more importantly - how to adapt these techniques to promote auto services during the winter sales season. After all, the right advertising campaign can increase the flow of customers by 30–40% in December, when people are actively preparing their cars for the cold.

History of creation: how the slogan “The holiday is coming to us” was born

The legendary video was filmed in 1995 by an advertising agency McCann Erickson for the Russian market. The idea came at the height of economic turmoil, when Coca-Cola needed an association with something warm and positive. Slogan "The holiday is coming to us" became a response to this request - it literally “embedded” the brand into family traditions.

Interesting fact: the original melody of the video was written by the composer Igor Matvienko especially for advertising. It became so popular that it was later adapted for other CIS countries. But lyrics was written collectively - it involved copywriters, marketers and even ordinary employees Coca-Cola, who offered their own string options.

• 🎬 Director of the video — Pavel Lungin, who later became a famous film director (“Island”, “Tsar”).
• 🎤 Vocalist — Alexander Marshal, whose voice has become recognizable to millions.
• 📅 First broadcast - December 1995 on the channel ORT (now Channel One).
• 💰 Filming budget — according to rumors, amounted to about $500 thousand (huge money for that time).

The secret to the success of the video is in its emotional simplicity. There are no complex storylines, no aggressive sales of the product. There is only family, snow outside the window and a bottle Coca-Cola as a symbol of the holiday. This technique was later copied by hundreds of brands, including automakers (remember New Year's advertisements Toyota or Mercedes with “warm” family shots).

Marketing moves: how Coca-Cola tied myself to the New Year forever

Advertising "The holiday is coming to us" - this is not just a video, but long-term branding strategy. Here are the key techniques the company used:

1. Creating a Tradition. Coca-Cola not just advertised the drink - she tied him to the ritual: “New Year = a bottle of Cola on the table.” This technique is called ritual branding and is actively used in the auto industry (for example, “checking your car before winter = changing the oil in our service center”).
2. Music trigger. The melody of the video became earworm (obsessive motive), which is automatically associated with the holiday. In car services, a similar effect is achieved by a branded sound (for example, a signal BMW when closing the machine).
3. Content localization. The 1995 video was adapted to Russian culture: snowy landscapes, a Russian song, images of Father Frost and the Snow Maiden. For the auto business, this means that winter promotions should take into account local characteristics (for example, in Siberia the emphasis is on “defrosting locks”, and in Sochi - on “preparing for mountain roads”).

One of the most powerful tools Coca-Cola — consistency. The video has been broadcast for 29 years with minimal changes. For a car service, this means: if you launched a winter promotion “Battery check for 500 rubles,” repeat it every year - customers will look forward to it like a holiday.

Technical secrets of filming: how the visuals were created

Roller "The holiday is coming to us" shot in style cinematic realism - realistic cinema, where every frame is imbued with atmosphere. Here are a few technical nuances that are worth adopting for video advertising of a car service:

• 🎥 Lighting. Soft light sources with a temperature 3200K (warm yellow shade) to create coziness. For a car service: photograph cars in a workshop with warm light - this inspires confidence.
• 🌨️ Artificial snow. Used in some scenes foam snow (cellulose-based foam), which does not melt under the soffits. For car advertising: if you are shooting a winter theme, use artificial snow in balloons (sold in photography stores).
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Actors casting. The family in the video is real, not professional actors. This added naturalness. For car service: shoot real customers (with their consent) instead of hired models.
• 🎶 Sound recording. Voice Alexandra Marshall recorded in the studio Mosfilm using tube microphones Neumann U47 (the cost of one is about $10 thousand). For car advertising: a high-quality USB microphone is sufficient (for example, Blue Yeti for 10 thousand rubles).

Particular attention in the video is paid to details: steam from hot cola, sparks in the fireplace, snowflakes on the window. In car advertising, close-up photography gives a similar effect:

• 🔧 Close-up of a hand twisting the butter cap.
• ❄️ Drops of condensation on the new battery.
• 🚗 The glare of headlights on a freshly polished body.

Psychology of perception: why the video still works

Advertising Coca-Cola exploits several psychological triggers that make us love her despite the years:

1. Nostalgia. For many Russians, this video is part of their childhood. Nostalgia activates prefrontal cortex brain responsible for positive emotions. In a car service, this technique can be used by showing “retro” cars (for example, Zhiguli or Volga) in advertising.
2. Halo effect. If a brand is associated with a holiday, then the product is perceived as “good.” For auto services: tie to positive events (for example, “Give your father reliable brakes on February 23”).
3. Social unity. The video shows a family subconsciously saying, “Everyone celebrates like this.” In auto advertising: use the phrases “Like all responsible drivers, check your tires before winter.”

Fun fact: in 2018 Coca-Cola conducted a study using EEG (electroencephalography) and found that when watching a video, the subjects activated the same areas of the brain as when listening to their favorite music. This proves that advertising works at the level subconscious associations.

How car services can use techniques Coca-Cola in winter promotions

Let's transfer the experience Coca-Cola for the auto business. Here 5 concrete stepsto make your New Year's ad memorable:

Create a “ritual” product (for example, “Winter check-up for 3990 rubles.”)

Use music with New Year's motifs in videos

Add elements of nostalgia to advertising (retro cars, Soviet posters)

Launch the “Gift for Review” campaign (like Coca-Cola gave keychains)

Shoot a video with “warm” light and family shots (client with a child in the car) -->

An example of successful adaptation: a car service center from Yekaterinburg launched a promotion in 2023 "New Year without breakdowns" with the following elements:

• 🎁 Gift: free diagnostics when purchasing winter tires.
• 🎵 Music: remade song "The holiday is coming to us" with words about “reliable brakes.”
• 📸 Visual: photo of craftsmen in santas with tools instead of bags with gifts.

Result: an increase in clients by 37% compared to last December.

Another working trick - "countdown". Coca-Cola starts showing the video a month before the New Year, creating anticipation. You can use the same trick in a car service:

• 📅 Launch your newsletter 30 days before the New Year: “30 days left to get your car ready for the cold!”.
• ⏳ Update promotions weekly: “1 week left - 20% discount on antifreeze!”.

Mistakes that ruin New Year's advertising for car services

Many car services are trying to copy the success Coca-Cola, but make critical mistakes. That's what can't do:

⚠️ Attention: If your ad has snow but doesn't have a clear offer (for example, "10% off tire service"), it will just become background. Coca-Cola shows the bottle in every frame - you have to show specific service.

• ❌ Too general message. Phrase "Happy New Year!" Without connection to car services it is useless. Correct: “Happy New Year and reliable brakes!”.
• ❌ Ignoring local peculiarities. Promotion in Moscow "Preparing for ice" it will work, but in Krasnodar it won’t. Adapt proposals to the climate.
• ❌ Overloaded design. Roller Coca-Cola minimalistic: snow, family, bottle. In car advertising, you don’t need to show all services at once - focus on one (for example, “Winter tires: installation in 1 hour”).

Another common mistake is brand tone mismatch. If your service is positioned as premium, do not use cheap New Year's templates (for example, flashing garlands in the video). Coca-Cola always keeps a balance: there is a holiday, but the brand remains stylish.

⚠️ Attention: Don't copy the melody "The holiday is coming to us" literally this is a copyright violation. But you can order a similar jingle from the composer (cost - from 15 thousand rubles).

FAQ: answers to frequently asked questions about advertising Coca-Cola and auto promotions

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