Backed by research and input from the university and broader deaf communities, a cohort of Gallaudet students developed the corporate name sign and gifted it today in honor of Coca-Cola's 139th birthday.
The Coca-Cola Company's new global sign name, developed over the past year through Gallaudet's student-led Communications and Marketing Lab, visually represents the iconic soft drink in American Sign Language (ASL), reinforcing the Company's commitment to inclusion and accessibility, and its connection with the global deaf and hard of hearing community.
The visual expression signs out the letters "C-O-K-E" in ASL with an added rhythmic hand motion representing the brand's signature dynamic ribbon.
"It is more than fitting that The Coca-Cola Company is the first global corporation to receive a sign created by students at Gallaudet University," said Storm Smith, Gallaudet University's Director of Storytelling. "We are deeply honored to have partnered with Coca-Cola on this. Our hope is that many other global brands will now follow in Coca-Cola's footsteps, recognizing the extraordinary value a global sign name brings and the importance of creating a stronger connection with our global signing communities."
"Gallaudet came to us wanting to create a name sign as a way to better represent the company and brand in ASL and within the deaf community," said Cameron Mattingly, Director of Stakeholder Partnerships, Coca-Cola North America. "The goal was to create expressions that better reflected our mission to 'Refresh the World and Make a Difference.' Everyone came together to bring this to life in an inclusive way, which speaks volumes about our partnership and shared values."
Reimagining "Hilltop" — Teaching the World to Sign
To highlight the significance of its new sign name, Coca-Cola turned to its iconic 1971 "Hilltop" commercial, a timeless symbol of unity. Filmed on Gallaudet's Washington, D.C. campus, a group of Gallaudet students are joined by staff and alumni to sign the lyrics to "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke," incorporating the brand's new name sign. When the chorus of the familiar jingle comes around, the film prominently features American Sign Language without the song's audio to capture the essence of the deaf community's communication.
Reimagining "Hilltop" in ASL not only honors the legacy of the original but also reflects The Coca-Cola Company's ongoing commitment to inclusion and accessibility, celebrating Deaf culture, identity, and belonging.
"Coca-Cola is all about inspiring connection and moments of uplift, which this storytelling captures beautifully by paying homage to a classic commercial in an inclusive way for the deaf community," said Nikki Moorer, Coca-Cola Brand Manager.
Gallaudet University's Student-Led Marketing Consulting Practice for Global Brands
Since its founding in 1864, Gallaudet University has been a pioneering leader in advancing worldwide recognition and prioritization of sign language. Building on its linguistic expertise and cultural leadership, Gallaudet University launched a student-led marketing consulting practice in 2023 to help global brands develop authentic sign names that enhance accessibility and inclusion for deaf and hard of hearing communities.
Coca-Cola's new sign name is the result of an interdisciplinary collaboration by students majoring in Communication Studies, Business Administration, and Linguistics, showcasing how Gallaudet's unique academic model can blend strategy, storytelling, and language to influence brand identity at a global level.
With more than 400 million deaf and hard of hearing people worldwide and an estimated $10 billion global sign language economy, a universal sign name offers brands a powerful marketing opportunity.
Gallaudet University and The Coca-Cola Company's Longstanding Partnership
Two years ago, Gallaudet began conversations with The Coca-Cola Company about the importance of establishing a corporate sign name. With support from Brandi Rarus, Gallaudet University's Chief Enrollment and Communications Officer, the project moved forward under the creative leadership of Storm Smith, the university's Director of Storytelling. Drawing on her background in advertising, branding, and inclusive marketing, Storm led the development process and invited four Gallaudet students to collaborate over the course of a year.
Together, the team conducted in-depth research, focus groups, and creative testing in collaboration with Coca-Cola executives, resulting in the creation of a new ASL brand sign for the company.
The sign name project is one of many initiatives in a decades-long partnership enjoyed by Gallaudet University and The Coca-Cola Company dating back to the 1980s and including scholarships, career development programs and the original Deaf Way festival in 1989.
Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of Deaf, hard of hearing and Deafblind individuals through American Sign Language and English.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company's purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Fuze Tea and Gold Peak. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, and fairlife. We're constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people's lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
SOURCE Gallaudet University
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