Coke releases ‘Open Happiness’ song

Music has power, said Umut Ozaydinli, Coca-Cola Co.’s global music marketing manager.

“A national anthem can make you feel pride,” Ozaydinli said. “The right song at the right time in a movie can make you shed a tear.”

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Coca-Cola hopes to tap into this power, in an uplifting manner, with the release of “Open Happiness,” a song that supports a marketing campaign by the same name.

The song features Cee-Lo Green from Gnarls Barkley, Brendon Urie from Panic at the Disco, Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy, Janelle Monae and Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes.

Pairing hot artists with a brand is nothing new, but Coke is taking an ambitious approach to this song. Working with Warner Music Group’s Atlantic Records, Coke has produced a song to stand on its own.

“Open Happiness,” which never mentions Coke in the lyrics, is being sold on iTunes and a music video will premiere in May. Last Thursday on iTunes, the song hit No. 37 on the pop rankings, between songs by Beyonce and Pink.

As inspiration for the project, Ozaydinli said Coke looked back to another song: “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke.” Accompanied by a TV spot set on a hilltop in Italy, the classic Coke tune became a commercial and cultural hit when it was released in 1971.

“It was a time of war, a time of economic difficulty,” Ozaydinli said. “We managed to create a single that inspired millions of people around the world.”

See any similarities to 2009? Ozaydinli does. He hopes “Open Happiness” can strike a similar chord with people today.