Coca-Cola has turned back to nostalgic advertising with the soft drink giant re-releasing a 1979 ad.
The ad which features NFL superstar “Mean Joe” (Joe Greene) will be revived for the Nascar Darlington Southern 500 race in South Carolina, with Greene telling AdWeek he knew right away the ad was good but had no idea it would take on "a life of its own." Greene said his fame from the ad has, in some circles, even surpassed his fame from the football field. The spot also proved to many fans that he could actually be a really nice guy.
"Prior to the commercial I was known as a mean guy. Not just 'Mean Joe,' but as a mean guy," he said. "But afterward, I remember prior to a ball game, leaving a hotel on a road trip, a little kid came up to me and asked for an autograph. I tend not to give autographs, and I kind of snarled at him, and he just looked at me and smiled and said, "That's 'Mean Joe.'"
This isn't the first time Coke has turned to nostalgia this year, with the brand rolling-out vintage ads in this region to celebrate 100 years of its iconic contour bottle.
The brand isn't just focusing on the old with Coke also trialling advertising on the popular messaging app Whisper.
