The Bee Gees Wrote Two Coca-Cola Jingles In 1968 — And They Sound Nothing Alike

Everyone knows that, in addition to their own hits, the Bee Gees wrote music for other artists. But a lesser-known fact is that they actually contributed a great deal toward building the Coca-Cola brand back in the 1960s. It all started early in the decade, when Coca-Cola started a worldwide campaign titled "Things Go Better with Coke." The slogan was created by Bill Backer, and the initiative recruited several high-profile artists and bands. Of course, the Bee Gees were among them.

The Gibb brothers contributed two tracks to this legendary campaign that would go down in history as one of the most successful marketing strategies: "Sitting in the Meadow" and "Another Cold and Windy Day." These two songs were written by Barry and Robin Gibb (Maurice chose to sit this one out), and although they might not be as popular as "Staying Alive" or "How Deep Is Your Love," they were still widely successful. And more than anything, they showed the world the incredible range the Bee Gees had. These songs sounded nothing alike, but they still channeled the band's iconic sound, each in their own way.

The two brothers put their perfect chemistry to work, each taking the lead on one of the spots and creating different atmospheres for their respective singles. They brought life to the campaign without losing their creative identity in the process and proved they could do anything — from ballads to disco to jingles for a soda brand.

"Sitting in the Meadow" is, between the two jingles, the most upbeat one, as was Barry Gibb's MO. The songs are simple, sweet, and undeniably positive — the perfect song for a spot. "Sitting in the meadow, frolic in the grass," Robin sings. "Wouldn't you be lazy, everybody asks / They'll smile at you / Never do you worry, never do you so / Everything is crazy, everything is slow / They'll smile at you / Have a bottle of Coca or two." Toward the end, they happily repeat, "Things go better with Coca-Cola," and add a romantic twist by saying, "Things go better with you."

Music historian Bob Stanley wrote in his 2024 biography of the Bee Gees, The Story of the Bee Gees: Children of the World (via: AARP), that the mastermind behind this "chirpy woodwind-led tune" was Barry. While both he and Robin Gibb are co-credited in the song, it was Barry who came up with the idea to write a more upbeat track. And it was a perfect mirror for the more subdued opening his brother came up with for the first spot.

If "Sitting in the Meadow" is the classic, cheery jingle everyone loves, "Another Cold and Windy Day" attracts attention for being the exact opposite. Initiated by Robin Gibb, this song leans into darker themes at first. It may sound counterintuitive to write a track with a melancholic melody for a promotional spot, but the Bee Gees were experts in making their audience feel whatever they wanted them to feel. In this case, it was the idea that a Coca-Cola is all you need to brighten up a gloomy day.

In his biography, "The Story of the Bee Gees," pop historian Bob Stanley writes, "It opened with the line 'Another cold and windy day' before the drink's obliterating powers were extolled: 'I open up some Coke and smile. And then my mind's free, for a while.'"

In the first verse, the narrator is clearly struggling. "Another cold and windy day / The birds are homing, to come to stay / And as I feel my mind is turning / And think of times when I were glad." But fear not, because then he opens up his soda can, and his bad day improves dramatically. When he drinks the Coke, his mind is "free for a while," because "Things go better with Coca-Cola."