Coca-Cola Jingle Becomes Chart-Topping Hit in 1970s

In 1971, Coca-Cola advertising executive Bill Backer was delayed at Shannon Airport in Ireland. He watched travelers gather over bottles of Coke, talking and laughing. Inspired by this scene, Backer jotted down a phrase: 'I'd like to buy the world a Coke.'

This phrase became the basis for Coca-Cola's famous 'Buy the World a Coke' campaign. Songwriters Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, and Billy Davis worked with Backer to turn it into a song.

The song was first recorded as a commercial jingle by The New Seekers, but the group couldn't appear in the television commercial due to its schedule. The Hillside Singers were brought in to perform the ad on camera instead.

The ad quickly became a sensation, and its image of people from different backgrounds gathering on a hillside to sing about sharing a Coke resonated with viewers.