
The Coca-Cola Company has a long history of commissioning famous artists to create advertisements for their product. One of the most well-known artists to work with Coca-Cola was Andy Warhol, who helped to set the tone for the company's inclusive advertising campaigns. Other notable artists include Vincent van Gogh, whose painting 'Bedroom in Arles' was featured in a Coca-Cola ad film, and AKET (aka Aket Kubic), a self-taught contemporary French artist whose painting 'Divine Idyll' was featured in the short film 'Masterpiece'. In addition, American artist Haddon Hubbard Sunny Sundblom created the iconic image of Santa Claus for Coca-Cola advertisements, which helped to create the modern image of Santa Claus.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Andy Warhol |
| Year | 1962 |
| Ad Name | Coca-Cola |
| Artworks featured | Divine Idyll by AKET, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer, Bedroom in Arles by Vincent van Gogh |
| Ad Description | An ice-cold bottle of Coca‑Cola journeys from canvas to canvas, starting with Andy Warhol’s 1962 Coca‑Cola |
| Artists mentioned | Andy Warhol, AKET, Vincent van Gogh, Vermeer |
Other artists who have worked with Coca-Cola:
- Haddon Hubbard "Sunny" Sundblom
- Fred Mizen
- Rockwell
- Newell Conyers Wyeth
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What You'll Learn

Andy Warhol's Coca-Cola Number 4
Coca-Cola (4) depicts a large black-and-white Coke bottle, made using acrylic, pencil and Letraset on canvas. It is almost a foot taller than the 6-foot Coca-Cola (3). The painting was purchased by art patrons Mr and Mrs Melvin Hirsh of Beverly Hills immediately after its creation. It was acquired from Irving Blum's Ferus Gallery, the site of Andy Warhol's first solo exhibition, the Campbell's Soup Can show in 1964.
The Coca-Cola series is an example of Warhol's pioneering silkscreen technique, which allowed him to produce paintings through a mechanical process that paralleled his use of mass culture subjects. The repetitive imagery and standardised format evoke the look of mechanical reproduction, but each of the bottles differs in both the evenness of the underpainting and the clarity of its stamped profile.
Coca-Cola (4) appeared in a recent Coca-Cola ad film, 'Masterpiece', in which a group of students are in an art museum, tasked with copying masterpieces. One student is bored and uninspired until a painting, Divine Idyll by artist Aket, notices and reaches out to grab a Coke bottle from Coca-Cola Number 4. The bottle gets passed from artwork to artwork, transforming to match each artwork's unique style.
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AKET's Divine Idyll
AKET, also known as Aket Kubic, is a self-taught contemporary French artist. His influences include comic books and graffiti, and his style has evolved to include deconstructed portraits that emphasise features and lines. His work is influenced by cubist painters such as Picasso and Condo. AKET's Divine Idyll is a 2022 oil painting that was featured in Coca-Cola's recent ad campaign, "Masterpiece". In the ad, the painting comes to life, reaching out to grab a Coke bottle from Andy Warhol's silkscreen painting, Coca-Cola Number 4. The bottle is then passed from artwork to artwork, transforming to match each artwork's unique style.
AKET's contribution to the "Masterpiece" ad campaign is a testament to his talent and creativity. His unique style and ability to capture the essence of a bored art student struggling to find inspiration have helped to create a captivating and engaging advertisement. The use of his painting in the ad has also introduced his work to a wider audience and showcased his talent to the world.
The Coca-Cola Company has a long history of collaborating with renowned artists for its advertising campaigns. From the early 20th century to the 1960s, the company featured beautiful young women dressed in the latest fashions in its advertising posters and calendars. In the 1930s, artist Fred Mizen painted a department-store Santa in a crowd, drinking a bottle of Coke, which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post. The company also commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising images of Santa Claus, which appeared in various magazines from 1931 to 1964. Sundblom's depictions of a warm and friendly Santa helped to create the modern image of Santa that lives on today.
In addition to AKET and Sundblom, Coca-Cola has worked with other famous artists such as Andy Warhol and Vincent van Gogh. Warhol's use of Coca-Cola imagery in his artwork set him apart from other artists and helped to popularise the soft drink. Van Gogh's painting, Bedroom in Arles, also made an appearance in Coca-Cola's "Masterpiece" ad campaign, showcasing the company's ability to bring together diverse and iconic artworks in its advertising.
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Haddon Sundblom's Santa Claus
Haddon Hubbard "Sunny" Sundblom was an American artist of Swedish and Finnish descent, best known for his images of Santa Claus for The Coca-Cola Company. Sundblom's Santa Claus illustrations were first used in 1931, and he continued to create them until his final version in 1964. Sundblom's Claus is often credited with establishing the larger-than-life, grandfatherly Claus as a key figure in American Christmas imagery.
The Coca-Cola Company began its Christmas advertising in the 1920s with shopping-related ads in magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. The first Santa ads used a strict-looking Claus, in the vein of Thomas Nast. In 1930, artist Fred Mizen painted a department-store Santa in a crowd drinking a bottle of Coke. In 1931, the company began placing Coca‑Cola ads in popular magazines. Archie Lee, the D'Arcy Advertising Agency executive working with The Coca-Cola Company, wanted the campaign to show a wholesome Santa who was both realistic and symbolic. So Coca-Cola commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising images using Santa Claus—showing Santa himself, not a man dressed as Santa. Sundblom's friend Lou Prentiss, a retired salesman, was the original model for the illustrator's Santa. When Prentiss passed away, Sundblom used himself as a model, painting while looking into a mirror.
Sundblom's Claus was inspired by Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). Moore's description of St. Nick led to an image of Santa that was warm, friendly, pleasantly plump, and human. Sundblom's paintings of Santa helped to create the modern image of Santa—an interpretation that today lives on in the minds of people of all ages worldwide. Sundblom's Santa illustrations were an instant hit for Coca-Cola and provided a glimpse of hope and joy for people whose spirits had been lowered by the Great Depression.
Sundblom's other notable works include the creation of Coke's mascot Sprite Boy in 1942, who appeared in print ads during the 1940s and 1950s, and a WWII United States Marine Corps recruitment poster in the same year. Sundblom is also recognized as a major influence on many well-known pin-up artists, and he painted hundreds of pin-up pictures during his career. Sundblom's final assignment, in 1972, was a cover painting for Playboy's Christmas issue, which included a short biography with his photo. Sundblom passed away in 1976.
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Fred Mizen's department-store Santa
The Coca-Cola Company has a long history of utilising art in its advertising campaigns, dating back to the early 20th century. One notable example is the artist Fred Mizen, who, in 1930, painted a department-store Santa in a crowd, drinking a bottle of Coke. This painting was used in print ads during the Christmas season of 1930 and appeared in the prestigious Saturday Evening Post magazine in December of that year.
Mizen's painting depicted Santa Claus, not as a man in a Santa costume, but as the jolly figure himself, enjoying a Coca-Cola beverage. This ad featured the world's largest soda fountain, located in the Famous Barr Co. department store in St. Louis, Missouri. The scene captures a bustling crowd with Santa Claus seamlessly integrated, reflecting the desire for a "wholesome Santa who was both realistic and symbolic".
Mizen's work built upon the company's earlier Christmas advertising, which began in the 1920s with shopping-related ads in magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. The first Santa ads portrayed a strict-looking Claus, reminiscent of Thomas Nast's depictions. However, with Mizen's painting, Coca-Cola introduced a more approachable and relatable Santa, setting a precedent for the beloved character we know today.
The success of Mizen's ad also contributed to the company's decision to expand its advertising efforts in 1931, placing Coca-Cola ads in a variety of popular magazines. This expansion led to the iconic collaboration with Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom, who further developed the image of Santa Claus for Coca-Cola. Sundblom's Santa, inspired by Clement Clark Moore's 1822 poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", debuted in 1931 and appeared regularly in magazines like Ladies Home Journal, National Geographic, and The New Yorker.
Sundblom's interpretation of Santa Claus is considered highly influential in shaping the modern image of Santa. His work for Coca-Cola advertising campaigns spanned from 1931 to 1964, depicting Santa in a variety of heartwarming scenarios, always accompanied by a bottle of Coke. Sundblom's original paintings are now prized pieces, having been exhibited in renowned locations such as the Louvre in Paris and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.
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Norman Rockwell's Out Fishin'
Norman Rockwell's 'Out Fishin'' is one of six illustrations created for Coca-Cola between 1928 and 1935. Rockwell's artwork was featured in Coca-Cola calendars, serving trays, posters, and a Saturday Evening Post ad. 'Out Fishin'', created in 1935, is perhaps his best-known illustration for the company. It depicts a young boy, resembling Tom Sawyer, sitting on a tree stump fishing, accompanied by his dog and a bottle of Coca-Cola.
The image captures the classic All-American image, which was a common theme in Coca-Cola's advertising art during the first half of the 20th century. The company often featured "radiant, vivacious, and breezy" young women, dressed in the latest fashions, in its advertising posters and calendars. However, Rockwell's 'Out Fishin'' is an excellent example of how the company also utilised artwork featuring boys and men to promote its products.
Rockwell's illustration has been reproduced on various merchandise, such as collectible beer steins and mugs, which are available for purchase on platforms like Etsy. The artist's work for Coca-Cola exemplifies his talent in capturing the spirit of his time through his art, a quality that has made his illustrations enduringly popular.
It is worth noting that other renowned artists have also contributed to Coca-Cola's advertising campaigns. For instance, Haddon Hubbard "Sunny" Sundblom is known for his images of Santa Claus for the company, starting in 1931. Sundblom's interpretation of Santa as warm, friendly, and pleasantly plump helped create the modern image of Santa Claus that persists today. Additionally, artists like Andy Warhol and AKET (Aket Kubic) have had their artwork featured in Coca-Cola's recent "Masterpiece" ad campaign, showcasing the company's continued collaboration with diverse artistic talents.
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Frequently asked questions
Haddon Sundblom was commissioned to paint Coke ads for the Saturday Evening Post in 1931. He created portraits of Santa Claus that helped to create the modern image of Santa.
Haddon Hubbard "Sunny" Sundblom was an American artist of Swedish and Finnish descent. He is best known for the images of Santa Claus he created for The Coca-Cola Company.
Yes, in 1930, artist Fred Mizen painted a department-store Santa in a crowd drinking a bottle of Coke. His painting was used in print ads that Christmas season, appearing in The Saturday Evening Post in December 1930.
Yes, Andy Warhol, AKET (aka Aket Kubic), Vincent van Gogh, and Newell Conyers Wyeth have all created Coke ads.
Andy Warhol's Coke ad is about the idea of soft-drink equality. The ad conveys the message that anyone can drink Coke, regardless of their social status or background.







































