Munch’s The Scream sips Coca-Cola: and the new spot sparks controversy

Coca-Cola, the most branded brand ever, has launched a new commercial set in a museum, where some of the best-known masterpieces in the history of art are collected. Among all, the work «Coca-Cola 3» by Andy Warhol stands out, created in 1962 and considered among the first examples of Pop Art. But there is also «Girl with an earring» by Veermer, Van Gogh’s room, the great wave off Kanagawa. In this museum room where the history of modern art is enclosed there is a boy who is unable to finish his drawing because he is seized with boredom and tiredness. In the end, after being bounced on the masterpieces and even sipped by some of the protagonists of the paintings, the magic bottle will end up in the hands of the student who, drinking it, will regain his verve as a draftsman.

And the art world immediately splits. On the one hand, there are those who think that a commercial product, albeit an iconic one, cannot use these masterpieces to create their own spot, on the other, there are those who are convinced that even on a subliminal level, a hymn to the launch of sugary (and abrasive) substances against paintings of enormous importance should not be an educational movement, finally those that give Coca-Cola the merit of having placed lesser-known African artists alongside the sacred monsters of modern art. Thus, super-known classic and contemporary art pieces are combined with works by emerging artists from Africa, India, the Middle East and Latin America. All of this is «Masterpiece», the new Coca-Cola commercial inspired by the world of art in which the legendary bottle was the protagonist. First of all in the work of Andy Warhol (starting point for the film).

The drink celebrated by Warhol
After all, Warhol himself had said it: «A Coca-Cola is a Coca-Cola and no amount of money can get you a better Coca-Cola» alluding to the democratic nature of mass products. After having created the series dedicated to the famous bottle, in 1985 he was commissioned to create a cover for Time on the subject of the New Coca‑Cola. Thus was born the work «New Coke» which sees an overturned can from which the drink comes out, which however was never published, given that the company decided to retrace its steps and not launch the new coca-cola formula. Instead, a special edition of the magazine came out which carried a photograph of New Coke surmounted by a large “X”, to announce the disappearance of the newborn brand.

The works in the spot
One of the merits of the commercial is that it portrays authentic icons of art together with other lesser-known pieces. In fact, the story takes place inside an imaginary museum – the scenes created on the computer are the masters – where a drawing lesson is in progress. Among the students is a boy stuck on the blank sheet. A cubist painting, in full Picasso style, then grabs Warhol’s bottle and passes it on to the other paintings: from JMW Turner’s “The Shipwreck” to Munch’s “The Scream”, passing through the “Bedroom at Arles” by Van Gogh and conclude with Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” who finally hands the drink to the listless young man. After having tasted the Coca-Cola, the boy, as expected, finds inspiration and verve again, conquering the teacher.

Directing
The film is part of the Real Magic brand platform and was made by the consultancy Blitzworks with creative direction by Ajab Samrai, from the OpenX unit of Wpp, under the guidance of the David agency. Directed by Henry Scholfield for Academy. «Masterpiece is not a story in which Coca-Cola appears. Coca-Cola itself is the story,” said Pratik Thakar, Global Head of Creative Strategy and Integrated Content at Coca-Cola. “True to the spirit of the brand, the dynamic sees works of different genres, geographies and generations come together to lift up a discouraged boy, creating a human connection and bringing enchantment to everyday moments”.