The Coca-Cola polar bears are polar bear characters used as mascots for the Coca-Cola Company. The animated characters have been a popular element in Coca-Cola advertising since 1993, and the company sells merchandise, such as tumblers and plush versions of the bears.
History
The Coca-Cola Company first used a polar bear in a 1922 French advertisement depicting a bear squirting Coca-Cola into the mouth of a thirsty anthropomorphized sun. However, the use of the characters was sporadic until 1993. That year, the Coca-Cola polar bears appeared in an animated film called Northern Lights (which was part of the "Always Coca-Cola" promotion that debuted during the commercial breaks of Game 3 of the 1993 NBA Finals) where they gathered to drink Coca-Cola and watch the Aurora Borealis, which was successful with consumers.[1][2] The use of polar bears in the 1993 ad campaign was, according to creator Ken Stewart, inspired by his labrador retriever dog which resembled a polar bear.[3] The polar bear has since become "one of the most popular symbols of Coca-Cola."[4]