Coca-Cola has reworked the song from its iconic 1971 commercial ‘Hilltop’ for a new film celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Named ‘Drink in America’ the three minute-long film sees the quaint, folksy and very 70s original song reimagined with a louder choir, stronger bassline and accompanied by a montage of moments of predictable Americana.
The original commercial (below) had an international flavour, with actors from around the world singing about how they’d like to buy the world a Coke.
The new ‘anthem’, however, has been designed to resonate in today’s cultural landscape and features a distinctly American chorus, with 25 singers from across the country performing the song.
The work was created by WPP Open X and led by Ogilvy. The original campaign was created by McCann Erickson (not Don Draper).
The campaign extends into packaging and on-the-ground activations with limited-edition bottles and mini-cans will feature designs tailored to each state, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with the visuals reflecting local culture.
A parallel mural program called ‘Paint the Nation’ will roll out across all 50 states, with local artists creating public works throughout 2026.
Coca-Cola is also tying the campaign to a broader set of community initiatives, including a goal of generating 250,000 volunteer hours over the next year.
Working with its bottling network, the company plans to support programs focused on issues like food access, disaster response, sustainability and services for military members and veterans.
The campaign is expected to appear across a wide range of high-profile events, from major sporting fixtures such as Nascar’s Coca-Cola 600 and the PGA Tour Championship to music festivals and other large gatherings.
In addition to Ogilvy, the campaign also comes from Burson, VML, Mayan Productions, Optimus Chicago and VAST/Keith Harris.
