From Erin Rossi, Art Director, Palio

I like to travel. No, I take that back, I love to travel. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing glamorous about takeoff, airplane bathrooms, or delays, but it’s thrilling to step into new territory. From people watching, to trying a new dish, or possibly getting a view of a world wonder for me can cause heart palpitations. Though personally, one of the things that I really find fascinating is checking out the ads and seeing how they differ from those in America.

I was recently in Europe, trying not to be an obnoxious American tourist, when a certain ad in Paris caught my eye. I saw it in subways, in magazines, and remembered to snap a picture with my iPhone while barreling past the billboard in a taxi. Karl Lagerfeld, famously the creative director for Chanel, and arguably one of the most influential men in fashion, had paired with Coca-Cola for a co-promotion.

As an art director, not only am I interested in the message, but the overall visual composition as well. To me, this bottle was designed in a classic graphic way and I am a fan of the black and white aesthetic. The vibrant splash of color within the silhouette that introduces “Light” as the differentiator of the soda is a nice break in color. What better way to represent the designer than with his notorious black suit uniform with ponytail? However, it might have been interesting to see his platinum hair represented within the silhouette as well. The current American soda ads tend to focus on colorful branding, the dignified Coca-Cola Polar Bear (on a positive note, Coca-Cola has set up a support fund for these endangered creatures), celebration, or historical value/slice of life.

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It’s interesting to see that soda is being supported by the fashion industry because the glamour of soda (or pop if you’re from the mid-west) in the US seems to be on a downward spiral. In the past year, the Governor of New York has tried to put a tax on soda to raise more money for the state, and to encourage a healthier lifestyle. Now, while I am not certain that this will deter individuals from buying soda, the health ramifications of this proposal are beneficial. There are no positive properties to soda: it causes tooth decay, headaches from the artificial sweeteners, as well as obesity if consumed heavily. The artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, in diet soda are also not great for you. The Mayo Clinic suggests that diet soda increases the risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Also, aspartame has been linked with lymphoma and brain tumors in lab animals.  Knowing all this, why would serious models choose a soda over a glass of no-calorie, all natural water?

Pairing soda with a model, albeit promoted by a king of fashion blows my mind — but in a way, this ad makes sense there. Paris is the fashion capital of the world. Why wouldn’t Coca-Cola want to advertise its product fashionably? In addition, Coca-Cola Light is allegedly a favorite drink of Karl’s because of the low calorie content. So, is it safe to say that Karl and Coca-Cola are sending the message that soda is fashionable only when the beverage is devoid of calories? You too can be a model if you consume Coca-Cola Light. Personally, I think Karl should stick to what he does best: promoting/designing luxury and high fashion.  To quote Karl, “Fashion designers are dictators of taste.” Luckily for Coca-Cola.