1942, in the midst of World War II, men are being drafted and everyone is doing what they can for the war effort.  America “home of the free” is fighting for the freedom of other countries threatened by Germany and Japan. This Coca-Cola advertisement published in 1942 feeds on the idea that people are loyal to their country.  The advertisement implies that Coca-Cola is supporting American troops in Europe and Asia, which was a value to Americans during this time period. The large words at the top read “Howdy, friend” making it appear as though American soldiers are endorsing the Coca-Cola brand.  This is a special use of pathos because everyone in the United States at the time knew someone fighting over seas, so the idea that these soldiers feel that Coca-Cola is their ally holds great value with people.

The ad also uses a play on words to form a greater allusion to the values of American soldiers at the time.  The box on the bottom right corner reads “I am loyal to quality”.  This is similar to how the soldier featured in the ad is loyal to his country.  This brings in some ideas related to ethos because Coca-Cola is an American company so this could cause Americans to feel obligated to be loyal to American companies during the war time.  

The ad touches on the idea that because American soldiers are fighting for freedom in other countries, Americans should exercise their freedom how they please, this includes drinking Coca-Cola.  There is a call to action to drink Coca-Cola because it is saying that Coca-Cola is “everything a refreshment should be”. Coca-Cola is almost making themselves a symbol of the United States in appearing as the “perfect” refreshment kind of like how the United States was perceived almost as the perfect country by Americans at the time.

I feel that this advertisement was likely persuasive at the time because of the association that the ad made with the American military.  The ad is misleading, however, because it reads “No matter where you go, somewhere near you is a big, friendly red sign with the trademark ‘Coca-Cola’”, but in battlefields where soldiers are fighting there are no large red signs where soldiers can pick up ice cold cokes.  Ethically the advertisement is deceiving, but at the time it likely was popular because of the feeling of patriotism that the ad institutes.