From the early days Coca-Cola advertisements were designed in such a manner to be accessible to all Americans: they presented slices-of-life images with which everybody could easily identify. We may say that Coca-Cola, as an American brand, represents an icon of American values and ideas, which are generally associated with leisure, wealth, freedom and also with progress, modernity, success, and lifestyle. The first decade of the XX-th century was a period of peace and relaxation in America. People, mainly the elite class used to spend their free time playing lawn tennis, golf or baseball, going to picnics or in long drives in the horse and carriage. The images used for Coca-Cola advertisements in this period show people doing sociable activities: a young couple coming from golf and tennis (1905), a young couple in a boat (1906), a young couple playing golf (1906), a young woman in a carriage (1906). The titles and slogans also contain nouns related to the idea of leisure:
▪ exercise: After exercise drink Coca-Cola (1905); Coca-Cola adds a refreshing relish to every form of exercise (1906);
▪ outings: Coca-Cola is a delicious beverage delightfully in harmony with the spirit of all outings (1906);
▪ drive, walk: A glass adds to the pleasure of a drive or a walk by brightening and refreshing the faculties (1906).
All these words related to leisure are supported by images showing people pleasantly spending their free time were meant to create familiar scenes for the viewers and to make them believe that the pleasant breaks of their everyday life should always be accompanied by a bottle or a glass of Coca-Cola.
“In the 1910’s America became a highly industrialized country and the mass production of cars created a nationwide prosperity”1. The Coca-Cola advertisements use images of people traveling by cars, while the slogans and titles make direct or indirect reference to automobiles by using nouns such as:
• road: Here’s t...