Buhay Ang Coke! (The Coke is Alive!)
March 19th, 2007
They Buhay Coke (Coke Life) campaign of Coca-Cola saw numerous billboards pop up around main thoroughfares throughout Metro Manila. The billboards feature a variety of things—from superheroes to slice-of-life Pinoy imagery to random colorful objects spewing out of the Coca Cola bottle. And though the campaign itself has some admirable components, the billboards have been subject to quite a bit of controversy, from people wondering why the logo is seemingly cut, to it being some sort of subliminal message alluding to female genitalia.
For me, the Buhay Coke campaign really fits its visuals. This billboard is located near Eastwood, along Libis in Quezon City. You see, in Filipino (some still call our language Tagalog, but it’s officially called Filipino), the word “Buhay” can mean two things, depending on context and pronunciation, “life” or “alive”. Now even if the Buhay Coke campaign refers to the Coke Life, I would say the Coke spewing out of that bottle looks very much alive, and thus Buhay (ang) Coke—the Coke is alive.
Popularity: 23% [?]
March 19th, 2007 at 12:39 am
I have been quite bothered with those ads by Coke. I just wonder how that campaign would make me want to drink that “con-job” of a drink more.
Not only is it unhealthy, it’s a big hoax. It’s just incomprehensible how some water, dash of brown dye, mixed with lots of sugar and CO2 can become popular?
March 19th, 2007 at 12:49 am
You can credit the popular addiction to it to marketing and distribution. Hey, is it true that Coke can make a tooth submerged in it disintegrate in a day, and that it’s actually strong enough that you can actually clean the toilet with it? Haha.
Having said that, I’m beginning to rethink drinking Cola. Not. I’m weak.
March 19th, 2007 at 12:58 am
Coke is…a habit, Dev.
March 19th, 2007 at 3:17 am
I LOVE coke ^_^
March 20th, 2007 at 7:41 am
The “Buhay Coke” campaign doesn’t look that great.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
It’s like there’s this intangible cohesion within the elements of this campaign (haven’t seen any TV ads to spoonfeed the message). Nevertheless, the Buhay Coke campaign doesn’t affect my consumption. I’m trying to cut down though. It’s summer. Hahahaha.
August 29th, 2007 at 6:13 am
actually this campaign is all over the world. in different countries..all coke campaigns are like this. ^_^
like Mcdonald’s. if we have LOVE KO TO`, germans have Iche lib(?) forgot. haha in US. I’m Loving It. sooo…
I STILL LOVE COKE CAMPAIGNS.it shows Filipino culture. Especially the Family bonding one with the spoon and fork outlining the coke bottle. genius!
and even the Superheroes one. ^_^ very colorful.
August 29th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Hi Eldzs! Thanks for dropping by. Well, it seems whoever’s in charge of the Coke campaign has been incorporating our culture pretty well into their international campaigns. I’m not too keen on their “Yes!” campaign though.