This September, the Coca-Cola system marked 75 years in Nigeria, celebrating one of the longest-running relationships between a global beverage brand and the Nigerian market. To commemorate the occasion, the company rolled out a couple of major campaigns, including special 60cl anniversary bottles, some of which were draped in the Nigerian green-white-green flag, as well as an anniversary music anthem. 

Titled “We Still Dey,” the anniversary anthem was released on September 25 and brings together Mavin Records singer and producer, Johnny Drille, and a 75-piece choir, with the song celebrating Coca-Cola’s enduring presence and connection with Nigerians across generations. ‘Many come and go, but we still dey / Through many generations, that feeling is the same,’ Johnny Drille sings in the anthem’s opening lines, immediately setting the tone for a song centred on longevity and the enduring cultural presence of the Coca-Cola brand.

While previous local Coca-Cola anthems have often been tied to specific cultural moments, “We Still Dey” takes a more expansive approach. 2019’s “LEGGO,” for instance, brought together Burna Boy, Kizz Daniel, Mayorkun, and others to celebrate the brand’s partnership with the English Premier League while tapping into the relentless hustle and never-give-up spirit associated with Nigerians. “We Still Dey” moves away from that aspirational framing, instead centering Nigeria’s diversity and the shared experiences that have kept Coca-Cola familiar across generations.

Johnny Drille emphasizes this point later in the song when he sings, ‘Different tongues, different tribes, but together with one voice we sing the same song.’ The 75-piece choir, with one member representing each year since Coca-Cola’s launch in Nigeria, gives the song’s central message a literal dimension, bringing together different voices to reinforce its broader portrait of a country united by shared experiences.

Guest verses from Plateau State rapper Sas Lil’Hardy, one half of rap duo Lucase2, and Donald Kadiri introduce further regional and stylistic textures, reinforcing its celebration of Nigeria’s diverse voices and musical traditions. The anthem’s crisp visuals complement this message, bringing its themes of identity and togetherness to life through depictions of local food, attire, traditions, and other familiar elements of the country’s cultural landscape.

In truth, “We Still Dey” functions as more than an anniversary anthem. By bringing together different voices and cultural references, Coca-Cola uses this latest jingle to frame its 75-year Nigerian history as one that has unfolded alongside Nigeria’s own changing cultural landscape.

Listen to “We Still Dey” here.