Coca-Cola's 'Buy the World a Coke' Campaign Conceived at Irish Airport

In 1971, Coca-Cola advertising executive Bill Backer was delayed at an Irish airport and observed travelers gathering over bottles of Coke, talking and laughing. He jotted down a phrase on a napkin: 'I'd like to buy the world a Coke.'

The phrase became the basis for Coca-Cola's 'Buy the World a Coke' campaign. Backer shared his idea with songwriters Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, and Billy Davis, who worked together to turn it into a song.

The first recording of the jingle was by The New Seekers, but they couldn't appear in the television commercial due to their schedule. The Hillside Singers were brought in instead, performing the ad on camera. The campaign quickly became a sensation, with its image of people from different backgrounds gathering on a hillside to sing about sharing a Coke resonating with viewers.

The jingle's popularity eventually led the writers to turn it into a full-length pop song, removing Coca-Cola references and rewriting it as 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)'. The Hillside Singers released their version first, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, while The New Seekers followed with their own recording, climbing even higher to No. 7.