content: Even if you know Coca-Cola exists, they want to make sure you don't forget it. They want to make sure that whenever you think of a drink - any kind - it should be their brand. Imagine if they stopped with all their advertising and Pepsi continued - which drink do you think would "win" the marketing battle. Besides, the fact that you get upset over their advertising because it should be universally known just proves that their marketing works. I think you're confusing the reason that you use ads. They're not there to make you instantly go out and buy $product. They're there so that when you do go out to buy something, their brand should be what pops into your head. If you're faced with a choice, they want to make sure that if their brand is there, you choose it because subconsciously you think that it's the better because you've heard and seen it so many times. There's a really interesting documentary on this from BBC named The Secrets of Superbrands which discuss these things.