HISTORY's Moment in Media: How Coke Launched the World’s Most Famous Jingle

The world’s most famous commercial jingle traces its origin to a dense fog that covered Britain in 1971.  That winter fog was so thick that the plane carrying Bill Backer, an ad man working with the soft drink giant Coca-Cola, was diverted to Shannon, Ireland.  At the crowded airport café, he gathered with passengers from planes from all over the world that had been similarly stranded.  But instead of being irate at their fate, he noted that people were grabbing refreshments and chatting and telling stories.