Ad man who taught the world to sing about Coke and created 'Miller Time' is dead at 89

Bill Backer taught the world to sing about Coke in perfect harmony
(Image credit: Coca-Cola Conversations/YouTube)

Bill Backer coined the phrase "Miller Time," proclaimed that Campbell's "soup is good food," and created ad campaigns for Fisher-Prince, Löwenbräu, Xerox, Quaker Foods, and cigarette brands. But the ad executive, who died at his home in Virginia on Friday at age 89, will be best remembered for his work with Coca-Cola. Backer and his team came up with the "Things go better with Coke" campaign and turned Coke into "the real thing," but Backer was also the driving force behind the legendary 1971 Coke commercial "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (in Perfect Harmony)," filmed on a hillside outside Rome with an international cast of young people:

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.