The brand tightrope of the summer: How to make a patriotic sales pitch for America250 that won’t make anyone mad

Brands are gearing up for America’s 250th birthday celebration. But invoking an all-inclusive patriotism that doesn’t alienate anyone in 2026 is a fine line to walk.

Back in July 1971, Coca-Cola debuted a TV commercial that would become one of the most iconic in the brand’s history. “Hilltop” featured a diverse group of people gathered on an Italian hillside, sharing their voices and bottles of soda, and famously singing, “I’d like to buy the world a Coke.” It was a Don Draper-approved multicultural, apolitical masterpiece.