Coca-Cola: Try Not to Hear This by David

Can an image make a sound without actually making a sound? The Coca-Cola Company, via its Central & Eastern Europe Business Unit, leveraged its rich history of sensorial advertising to launch a unique campaign that invites viewers to “hear” the image of an ad in their heads.

The series of photographs show macro imagery of classic Coca-Cola moments: the “fizzing” of the bubbles, the uncapping of a bottle, and the opening of a can. The headline then reads “Try Not To Hear This”, challenging viewers to avoid playing the sounds in their heads, but at the same time taunting them to do so.

This effect is an example of synesthesia, when two different senses cross in the brain, producing the impression people are hearing one thing even though they’re stimulated via another sense, their vision. The Coca-Cola campaign uses its instantly recognizable product and iconic rituals to trick the brain into automatically associating an image with a specific sound, filling in the silence with the expected sound. It’s in essence an auditory illusion.

The campaign will run in multiple markets across Europe.