Share a Coke Campaign – A Coca-Cola with your name on it

Coca-Cola is putting Aussies front and centre by printing people’s names on millions of bottles (for the first time ever) as a social invitation to find the names of friends and family and encourage them to connect and ‘Share a Coke’ together.

The launch of the new multi-million dollar summer campaign, Share a Coke, will see the country’s 150 most popular names appear on labels this summer, encouraging them to ‘Share a Coke’ with one another.
This is the first time Coca-Cola has made such a major change to its packaging and the first time any brand in Australia has launched this type of campaign.  Share a Coke with Matt, Josh, Luke, Rebecca, Nicole, Kate messaging was designed to encourage Aussies to connect with each other this summer. All the executions of the fully integrated ‘Share a Coke’ marketing campaign act as an invitation for consumers to share a bottle or can of Coke with someone they know, or want to know.

Says Lucie Austin, marketing director, Coca-Cola South Pacific: “We are using the power of the first name in a playful and social way to remind people of those in their lives they may have lost touch with or have yet to connect with.  We’ve put names on Coca-Cola bottles so consumers will have fun finding their friends and family members’ names and then enjoy sharing a Coke together.”

Coca-Cola Australia is betting on a viral hit for ‘Share a Coke’ via social media. Facebook fans can create their own Coke commercials with pictures from their Facebook albums, share a virtual Coke, and be eligible to win $50,000 to share with their friends. TV screens will be blanketed with 30-second ads promoting the campaign and inviting people to create and share their own Coke commercials on YouTube and Facebook.

“We are using the power of the first name in a playful and social way to remind people of those in their lives they may have lost touch with or have yet to connect with,” said Austin.

Consumers are able to download one of 150 ‘name songs’, produced in partnership with Southern Cross Austereo via the Coca-Cola Australia Facebook page. And come December, the campaign will flip over to “share a Coke with Santa,” with cans rolling out featuring “Rudolph” and other reindeer names. It’s all part of the brand’s Open Happiness campaign, as Coke looks to deliver happiness and a unique brand experience … one personalized can at a time.

Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Sydney
Digital Agency: Wunderman
PR: One Green Bean
Channel Planning: Naked Communications
Media: IKON Communications
Activation: Urban Communication
Year: 2010

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