The Coca‑Cola polar bears

In 1993, our iconic polar bears settled down in front of a film with a Coca‑Cola - with a cool twist. The animated TV advert, 'Northern Lights', featured the polar bears watching the aurora borealis (their 'movie') and drinking from chilled bottles of Coca‑Cola.

A polar bear journey

The now famous advert was created by Ken Stewart, inspired by his Labrador retriever puppy who, Ken thought, resembled a polar bear.

A lengthy, complex process was required to bring the furry, always thirsty Arctic creatures to life. Films and photos of actual polar bears were studied to get a better idea of how bears move their heads, bodies and limbs. A sculptor created a representation of the bear’s head in clay, to define the three dimensional look of the bears. Movement for the bears was created as animators plotted the bears’ course on the computer.

" We wanted to create a character that's innocent, fun and reflects the best attributes we like to call 'human'."
Ken Stewart, creator

There have been many Coca‑Cola polar bear adverts since the 1993 debut, including two for the 1994 Olympic Games in which the bear slid down a luge and soared off a ski jump. Bear cubs also were introduced in a holiday advert in which the bear family selects its Christmas tree.