Coke – The New Religion

The “pause that refreshes” surfaced just when organized religion was suffering from the writings of Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and other scientists. Coke has achieved the status of a substitute modern religion which promotes a particular, satisfying, all-inclusive world view espousing perennial values such as love, peace, and universal brotherhood. It provides a panacea whenever daily life seems too difficult, harried, fragmented, or confused. As a sacred symbol, Coca-Cola induces varying “worshipful” moods, ranging from exaltation to pensive solitude, from near-orgasmic togetherness to playful games of chase… If you drink Coke, the ads suggest, you will belong to a warm, loving, accepting family, singing in perfect harmony. If we can’t quite succeed in finding that stress-free society today, never mind — we’ll find it tomorrow. We’ll build a better world for you, and me, and everyone. Always. Always Coca-Cola. It’s a beautifully seductive message, because it’s what we all want. (Mark Pendergrast, For God, Country and Coca-Cola