LOS ANGELES — Good old Israeli ingenuity has triumphed again — and it’s fizzing in Las Vegas’newest spectacle.
It is a Coca-Cola bottle 30 meters high, a new world record that encases two elevators taking visitors to the fourth story of a “showcase mall” dedicated to the World of Coca-Cola.
The giant bottle’s exterior, festooned with thousands of flashing bulbs and neon, will light up the Las Vegas Strip.
Inside the bottle, folks riding the elevators will be treated to “sounds of crackling ice, pouring soda and a soundtrack of dynamic Coca-Cola jingles,” according to a statement from Coca-Cola’s Atlanta headquarters.
The Israeli contribution is on the third floor, where the “Contours of Art” exhibit will “showcase folk art traditions from around the world, in the form of oversized, three-dimensional Coca-Cola bottle shapes.”
Following a global competition, the top 15 “sculptures” were selected by “a professional panel and public vote.”
Carrying the colors for Israel is Zohar Gabay, a graphic design student from Tel Aviv. His 2.5-meter “mosaic sculpture,” featuring the Coca-Cola logo in Hebrew letters, won the judges’ admiration as “one of the collection’s highlights,” according to a Coca-Cola spokeswoman.
Gabay’s entry “features mosaic tiles in natural colors, placed on a polyurethane bottle foundation,” the spokeswoman said.
“The mosaic technique combines art forms and messages connected with ancient Israel, Greek art and modern times. Several Israeli symbols are prominent, including the Star of David and the Israeli flag.”
Cynical minds or Pepsi fans might posit that the unique exhibit is but a commercial promotion for you-know-what. But the “rationale” described in a Coke “fact sheet” cites a loftier purpose.
“The Coca-Cola contour bottle has been, and continues to be, a source of inspiration for artists around the world. Folk and indigenous art is part of the fabric of life everywhere, and so is Coca-Cola,” the soda company says.
“The exhibit celebrates the traditions and heritage of everyday life, using the Coca-Cola bottle as a symbol of friendship and sharing.”
Israeli talent is indeed helping teach the world to sing. On opening night, the 30-meter bottle was uncapped, “followed by a dramatic display of fireworks shot out of the bottle,” Coke bubbled in its press material.
Vegas visitors anxious for a taste of Israeli Coke art can pay $5 admission ($3 for children) and see the real thing.
Those still thirsty can travel to the Coca Cola Museum in Atlanta, where free samples of Cokes from around the world include Israel’s brew.