Kenya Barris’ New Coca-Cola Commercial Is a TV Show In Itself
Kenya Barris, known for creating Black-ish, has teamed up with Coca-Cola for an ad that feels more like a short film, Variety reveals. Titled Westside’s Finest, the six-minute piece tells a layered story of a family running a local convenience store through decades of change.
The ad stars Barris, Omari Hardwick, Lauren London, Nelson Franklin, and Lionel Boyce, with familiar Coke products like Sprite, Tab, New Coke, and even Honest Kids making appearances.
The story captures big moments: people meeting, loved ones passing, and the steady presence of a store woven into the neighborhood’s history. Barris described the project as showing how stores can feel like a second home, reflecting life’s ups and downs.
Coca-Cola used this idea to showcase its range of drinks over time. To make it feel real, their team dug through archives to recreate everything, from old cans to promotional materials. ‘You try finding a Minute Maid can from 1995,’ said Alex Ames, Coca-Cola North America’s director of content.
This isn’t Coke’s first time telling such stories. In 2024, a similar ad by Christopher Storer, creator of ‘The Bear,’ showed a big family welcoming a new member, with Coke products quietly tying the scenes together.
While that ad was made for cable TV and ESPN, Barris’ film is crafted to stream online, with edits tailored for social media and TV audiences.
Barris believes people enjoy longer ads when done creatively. ‘It’s counterintuitive,’ he said, but storytelling like this keeps people watching. And Coca-Cola’s bet is paying off—they’re seeing better customer perception and growing market share.
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