I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)

As we headed into the 1970s, there was this feeling that the world was finally turning a corner. The optimism of the previous decade was still hanging in the air, but underneath it all, things were far from peaceful. The Vietnam War had exposed the ugly machinery of war to millions of people, and the images coming home each night reminded everyone that the bloodshed was nowhere near over. Yet that did not stop the world’s biggest soft drink company from creating what may be the greatest peace anthem ever attached to a marketing campaign.

Woodstock had already gathered hundreds of thousands of young people together for three days of peace, love, and music. Coca-Cola took that same spirit and bottled it. In 1971, the company released its legendary Hilltop commercial, placing a diverse group of young people on a hillside singing, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony).” It was an incredibly simple message of harmony, even if its ultimate goal was still to sell millions of bottles of soda. Somehow, it managed to do both. More than four decades later, the commercial would become the unforgettable closing scene of Mad Men, symbolizing Don Draper’s ultimate blend of inner peace and advertising brilliance.

Ironically, the jingle almost disappeared before it ever became famous. It was first released as a radio song in 1971, but audiences barely noticed it. Everything changed when Coca-Cola paired the melody with the now-iconic visuals of a multicultural chorus standing together on a hilltop. The company invested about $250,000 into the commercial, an enormous amount of money for the time, and the production was anything but smooth. Bad weather repeatedly delayed filming in England before the crew finally relocated to Italy.

The commercial itself was inspired by an unexpected moment. Bill Backer, creative director at McCann Erickson, found himself stranded at Shannon Airport in Ireland after heavy fog grounded his flight. As frustrated passengers from around the world waited together, he noticed something remarkable. Once they grabbed bottles of Coke, strangers started talking, laughing, and sharing stories. Backer scribbled the words “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” on a napkin, and advertising history was born.

The song became so popular that the songwriting team adapted it into the standalone pop hit “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony).” It became an international success, thanks in large part to versions recorded by The New Seekers and other artists. The message had grown far beyond its commercial roots.

Then came one of television’s greatest endings. In the 2015 series finale of Mad Men, a weary Don Draper sits on a California hilltop during a meditation retreat, desperately searching for meaning. As he meditates, a small smile slowly spreads across his face. The screen cuts directly to the real 1971 Coca-Cola Hilltop commercial, leaving viewers to decide whether Draper had found enlightenment or simply conceived the greatest advertising campaign of his career. It remains one of the smartest television endings I have ever seen.

Bill Backer lived just long enough to watch that finale air in May 2015. Although he admitted he was never a regular viewer of Mad Men, he loved the connection and appreciated how it introduced a whole new generation to his greatest creative achievement. He passed away on May 13, 2016, at the age of 89, leaving behind a commercial that somehow managed to capture both the idealism of its era and the timeless power of great storytelling.