The Latest Twist on 'Share a Coke'

via CSPnet

ATLANTA -- The next iteration of Coca-Cola Co.’s "Share a Coke" program will bring an array of song lyrics from recent chart-toppers, classic hits and traditional favorites to the packages of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero and Coca-Cola Life as the soda maker looks to inspire music fans across the United States "to celebrate a moment, a memory, a mood or a feeling, bringing people together through the universal love of music," the company said.

The "Share a Coke and a Song" campaign signals an evolution for one of the company’s most successful U.S. campaigns of all time, which in the past two years featured first names, group names and colloquial nicknames.

“We’re setting the summer to music to inspire and connect fans through the special moments that are created when they share a Coke,” said Joe Belliotti, head of Global Music Marketing, Coca-Cola North America.

The debut collection of "Share a Coke and a Song" packaging will feature song lyrics spanning a range of sentiments, from the feeling of falling in love (“The Way You Love Me” and “You Belong With Me”) and celebrating victory (“All I Do is Win” and “We Are the Champions”) to moments of friendship (“Lean On Me”), flirtation (“It’s Getting Hot in Herre”), sass (“We Never Go Out Of Style”) and motivation (“I’m Your Biggest Fan”). The campaign also will feature patriotic lyrics (“I’m Proud To Be An American” and “Sweet Land Of Liberty”), as well as lyrics from iconic Coca-Cola and Diet Coke ads, such as “I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke” and “Just For The Taste Of It.” The complete list of lyrics featured on packaging will be available at www.ShareaCoke.com beginning April 18.

Song lyrics will be available all summer while supplies last on 8-ounce glass bottles, 7.5-ounce minicans, 20-ounce bottles, 1.25- and 2-liter bottles, and 12-ounce cans of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero and Coca-Cola Life. Beginning April 18, music lovers can also visit ShareaCoke.com to choose from a list of lyrics to customize bottles, access crafted digital images to share on social media and participate in the #ShareaCoke photo gallery. The website will continue to sell “Share a Coke” individual 8-ounce glass bottles and six-packs of 8-ounce glass bottles of Coca-Cola that are customizable with names. New this year, fans can also purchase customized Diet Coke and Coke Zero packaging, making it easy to share a Coke for nearly any special celebration or occasion.

“During the past two years, we have seen incredible enthusiasm from people who loved the personal touch of our 'Share a Coke' campaign and invited our brand into their lives,” said Racquel Harris Mason, vice president, Coca-Cola/Coke Zero, Coca-Cola North America. “Evolving the campaign from providing individual names to now expressing the limitless sentiments that music lyrics communicate is our way of celebrating that excitement and inviting fans to continue to celebrate special moments in new ways over an ice-cold Coca-Cola.”

This year’s program features an all-new social sharing opportunity that’s all about the music.

Lyrical enthusiasts can tap into a digital experience by using the Shazam mobile app to scan the lyric on specially marked "Share a Coke" 20-ounce bottles and signage, allowing them to record a digital lip-sync video and share their creations on social media with the hashtag #ShareaCoke.

“Share a Coke and a Song” will be supported through a nationwide advertising and marketing campaign, including a suite of music-themed TV commercials, cinema ads, social and digital engagement and a summer-long experiential tour making stops at major music events throughout the country.

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, also welcomes multiplatinum international pop star Jason Derulo as one of the brand ambassadors for the program.

Advertisers Make Big Plans for Super Bowl

via USA Today

Whether it's beer, cars or corn chips, the usual suspects are lining up to make the 50th Super Bowl more than a game to remember -- at least when it comes to the ads.

With the Super Bowl now almost two week away, advertisers are starting to give a peek at what they’ve got planned. They have a lot at stake as they prepare to drain their marketing budgets for what is perennially most expensive promotion opportunity of the year. Creative directors are angling to make an impact -- whether it's through a laugh or a pull of the heartstrings.

"It's brand strategy, pure and simple," says Erika Napolitano, a branding consultant for RHW Media in Chicago. "It's emotional, entertaining and most of all -- and more than any other ad buy you make for the year -- it has to have a clear message."

That's because so much is at stake: When the NFL championship airs on CBS on Feb. 7,  advertisers will vie for the attention of an audience that last year had a viewership of 114 million, making it one of the most watched telecasts

ever.

With so many eyes on the small screen, companies are willing to pay millions of dollars for 30 mere seconds of air time.

The average rate for a 30-second Super Bowl ad has risen by 76% during the past decade -- reaching $4.4 million in 2015, according to Kantar Media. It’s the priciest commercial time on TV.

"The demand for the Super Bowl has been extraordinary," CBS CEO Les Moonvessaid during a UBS conference last month, without disclosing specific price tags for this year's ad inventory.  "We've sold most of the spots for very, very high prices."

A wide range of companies have lined up for this year's action. But most haven't revealed their strategy or the actual ad. They are starting to be divulged, and one of the Super Bowl's most familiar advertisers is among the first to reveal some of the spots it has in mind.

Anheuser Busch, the Super Bowl’s exclusive beer sponsor for the 28th straight year, scooped up three and a half minutes of air time to run five ads for four brands:  Bud Light, Budweiser, Shock Top and Michelob Ultra.

“For us this is extremely important because we use the Super Bowl to make statements about our brands, to kick off the year with a vengeance,'' Jorn Socquet, Anheuser Busch’s vice president of marketing, said during a media preview Thursday.

Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales will once again make an appearance.  Michelob ULTRA's 30-second ad will be its first in the Big Game since 2010. Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer will bring plenty of laughs to a “Bud Light Party" in an ad supporting that brand. And Shock Top, an unfiltered wheat beer, will feature comic T.J. Miller as its “unfiltered spokesperson’’  in a spot that will mark its Super Bowl debut.

Watch the Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer teaser here.

Soft drinks and sweet snacks will also be advertised, with as well as healthier fare such as the avocados from Mexico brand.

Skittles and Butterfinger will be in the big game, as well as Mountain Dew's Kickstart beverage.

Skittles'  ad will star rocker Steven Tyler, and marks the first time a celebrity has been part of Skittles’ “Taste the Rainbow’’ ad campaign.

And, as usual, a bevy of car companies will be represented -- more than nine so far. Among the brands planning one spot or more include Acura, Audi, Buick, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mini and Toyota. Some, like Buick, are first timers.

All will be watching closely to see if they get their money's worth.

"The Super Bowl has become the Ad Bowl," Napoletano says. "Ads have become a culture in and of themselves."

Coke launches new global campaign: 'Taste the Feeling'

via Fox News

The company Tuesday rolled out a new ad campaign, "Taste the Feeling," which will be used to market Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero. (AP)

Coca-Cola is working hard to reboot its image amid declining sales and increased health concerns about sugary soft drinks.

The company Tuesday rolled out a new ad campaign, "Taste the Feeling," which will be used to market Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero, rather than running different spots. This is the first time that one campaign will be used across multiple Coke products.

"We are reinforcing that Coca-Cola is for everybody," Marco de Quinto, Coke's chief marketing officer said in on the company’s website.  "People want their Coca-Cola in different ways, but whichever one they want, they want a Coca-Cola brand with great taste and refreshment."

The new global campaign features a new theme song “Taste the Feeling” by rising Australian pop singer Conrad Sewell, known for the single “Start Again.” Hear the song here.

The reboot replaces the "Open Happiness" campaign that Coke has used since 2009.  Other well-known slogans have included "It's the Real Thing," "Coke Adds Life," and "Have a Coke and a Smile." This is its 48th different slogan during that time.

"Taste the Feeling" is the latest effort by Coke to win over more drinkers in the struggling soda category.  Currently 70 percent of Americans consume more added sugar than the USDA’s recommended limit, with one third of that sugar coming from sodas.

Soda companies have been trying to convince consumers that they produce healthier options and in 2014, the American Beverage Association pledged to cut calories in offerings by 20 percent. 

But Coca-Cola has been caught trying to sway public opinion about its soda. In March, the company got burned for paying fitness and nutrition experts to suggest its soda should be viewed as a snack idea during American Heart Month.

And last November, a controversial study was released that claims that diet drinks, such as Diet Coke, had a "neutral" to "even beneficial" effect on weight when compared to water.  The research was conducted by Peter Rogers, professor of biological psychology at Bristol University, but was funded by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). But the Sunday Times found that ILSI is made up of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and other food-industry executives.

 Watch their new "Anthem" here.

Whole Neighborhood Learns Sign Language to Surprise Deaf Resident in Samsung Ad

via AdWeek

Samsung Turkey has launched a website with a video call center for the hearing impaired, and it's announced it with quite the stunt.

In the video below, titled "The Most Emotional Surprise of the Year," we follow Muharrem, a hearing-impaired man, through his morning routine. A month of preparation (including sign language training) and many cameras later, Muharrem goes through the city and is greeted by people who can communicate just like he does.

Watch the long form here.

It ends with Muharrem approaching a large screen, with a woman signing to him "A world without barriers is our dream as well." She announces the video call center for the hearing impaired, and then the "gotcha" moment happens.

Lot of tears. From Muharrem and maybe a viewer or two.

Pepsi Brings "Joy of Pepsi" Back

via AdAge 

Watch the new "Joy of Pepsi" Here

Pepsi is bringing "Joy of Pepsi" ba, ba, ba, ba back. A spot debuting during tonight's episode of Fox's "Empire" includes a remake of an old spot in the classic campaign, which includes the sung phrase "Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba." The mnemonic was last widely used in a "Joy of Pepsi" ad starring Britney Spears that ran in 2001. But Pepsi subtly brought the saying back earlier this year at the end of ads for its ongoing "Live for Now" campaign.

The original campaign, called "The Joy of Cola," launched in 1999 and featured child actress Hallie Eisenberg. BBDO, New York was the agency. The new spot closely resembles this old Pepsi ad below that includes a radio DJ.

Watch the original "Joy of Cola" Here

In the new spot (at top), the voiceover is supplied by Ted Williams, a formerly homeless man from Columbus, Ohio who became an overnight media sensationin 2011 after a local newspaper posted a video of him showing off his golden pipes. In the wake of his stardom, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese signed him up to provide a voiceover for ads.

This is Mr. Williams' first assignment for Pepsi, a spokeswoman confirmed. The ad also features singer Tori Kelly, as well as Nascar star Jeff Gordon and NBA star Kyrie Irving, who are regular Pepsi endorsers. The ad was created in-house and directed by Joe Pytka, the original director of the "Joy" campaign. "The new rendition is reflective of Pepsi's rich history in pop culture, which has allowed the brand to constantly position itself as a leader within the space and align with the best talent in both sports and entertainment," the brand stated.

A PepsiCo spokeswoman said there are "no plans right now" to permanently bring back the Joy tagline. Joy has been a popular phrase lately in ads, with Diageo's Johnnie Walker and ConAgra's Reddi-wip both recently releasing joy-themed campaigns.

Pepsi's original "Joy of Cola" campaign debuted during the 1999 Academy Awards and marked Pepsi's first-ever ad during the show. The first ad in the original campaign featured the voice of Marlon Brando. Other ads featured Aretha Franklin and R&B singer Isaac Hayes.

Coke's Movie Theater Trial Shows Beacon Potential

via Computer World 

Retail beacons have huge potential, but it can only be met when chains move beyond seeing beacons solely as tiny ad broadcasters. Coca-Cola is starting to get creative about beacons, with a trial in Norway movie theaters to not merely communicate with moviegoers but to remember them for re-targeting later.

Coke offered a free soda to get that initial click — from 24% of moviegoers — and then used the mobile app to find those people later to offer a free movie ticket if they returned. That re-targeting effort delivered a stunning 60% click-through and an almost-as-impressive 20% redemption.

The trial was done with VG, which is Norway's largest newspaper. A mobile advertising vendor "collected data about these users so that, a week later, when any of them opened the VG news app on their phones, they would receive a Coca-Cola ad offering them a free ticket that could be redeemed at the movie theater," according to a story about the effort in Mobile Marketer.

Trials like these are crucial if beacons are going to evolve. It's all about layering. It's not about using the beacon or the mobile phone or POS or a mobile app. It's about layering — integrating — as much together as possible. Hence, it's using the interaction with the beacon on top of the mobile app, which leverages geolocation and the proximity of a Wi-Fi connection (and that beacon) and accessing existing CRM profiles of that shopper. And then watching for profile online and matching it with activity in-store.

What Coke has done is use the beacon not to engage the customer directly, but to encourage an interaction with a specific app. The app then continues the conversation later. The next challenge is having that conversation move deeper online, with an individualized experience. Then it must come full circle, as it should influence the next in-store interaction.

When this works, it goes beyond being seamless. Ideally, the interactions should be almost invisible, undetectable. The customer should see the online site as more useful, clueless that his/her online experience is different from anyone else's experience. In-store interactions should seem comfortable and store associates simply attentive and knowledgeable. "I just got really lucky, asking a store associate who happened to already know about the specific product I cared about," should be the reaction.

One movie theater trial in Norway is far from proving a marketing concept, but if this effort is emulated throughout retail, Coke's beacon strategy may just prove to be the real thing.

Pepsi Celebrates World Emoji Day With More Emoji

via Fast Company

Sometimes when communicating non-verbally, like over text, the right words to express your true emotions fail you. There are times when only a smiling little pile of poo will do. Thankfully, there are emoji, those colorful little symbols that, in a single image, express everything from delight to fear to disgust to dizzying love—not to mention whatever mischievous emotion prompts people to include a little poop in their message.

 Watch "Proposal" here

With roots in Japan, emoji have tipped over into the mainstream and have become an important, and amusing, part of the digital lexicon. Studies have looked at emoji preferences around the world (Canada tops the world in poop usage, which sets my patriotic flames alight), brands have created campaigns using the characters, and even the White House is down with using tiny pictures to convey its message. Emoji have become so popular July 17 has been declared World Emoji Day.

Not one to miss out on a cultural moment, Pepsi has created an entire program around emoji, which will be released globally on World Emoji Day. The brand is releasing a 35-character emoji keyboard, which is designed to evoke the Pepsi logo as well as fill gaps in the emoji lexicon; a short film, which tells an endearing and universal story with images to show how emoji can exist outside of the digital space; and is calling on fans to suggest new emoji by tweeting their ideas at #PepsiMoji.

"Over time emoji have become the universally understood language of emotion," says Brad Jakeman, President, PepsiCo Global Beverage Group. "The unique thing we’re doing with emojis is taking them out of the digital world and grounding them in the physical world and allowing consumers to have the kinds of conversations they’d have with emojis when they’re actually together."

While "Proposal" demonstrates the physical use of digital icons, the PepsiMoji have been literally translated to the real world in Canada where they can be seen on cans and bottles as part of Pepsi’s #SayItWithPepsi promotion.

Jakeman says when taken at face value #Sayitwithpepsi is a celebration of emojis, which ties into what World Emoji Day is all about. But launching this program in Canada has other strategic benefits. Aside from having a high penetration of mobile usage, he cites statistics that suggest Canadians are also emoji-crazy: nearly 71% of Canadian consumers use emojis every day and 45% of Canadian consumers have installed an emoji keyboard on their phones, says Jakeman. Plus, Canada is multilingual.

"As we think about how to scale this program, Canada is one of the few nations where it has more that one official language so this is a place we can really test the global appeal of emojis as an universal language of emotions that transcends linguistic barriers," Jakeman says.

This campaign is not Pepsi’s first emoji-based initiative. In March, the brand enlisted artist Yung Jake to create portraits of its Pepsi ambassadors—such as Usher, Serena Williams and Usain Bolt—out of emoji. But Jakeman says this global day dedicated to the icons was the right time to put a Pepsi spin on the visual language.

"Emojis have been around for quite some time and we spent a lot of time talking about "why now?" Jakeman says. "One of the things that Pepsi has been historically adept at, is figuring out when something is right at the appropriate moment in the consumer zeitgeist. The fact that World Emoji Day is for the first time becoming this broad phenomenon that it’s expected to be just shows you how we believe we got the timing right."

Coke Has Removed the Logos from its Packaging in the Middle East to Encourage People Not to Judge Each Other

Via Business Insider

Coca-Cola Middle EastCoke cans in the Middle East will carry no logos during the month of Ramadan.

Coca-Cola is removing its logo from its cans of soda in the Middle East to encourage people not to judge one another.

The no-label cans will run throughout Ramadan. One side is blank, other than the brand's iconic coloring. The other side reads: "Labels are for cans, not for people." We first spotted the cans on Campaign India.

Coca-Cola Middle EastCoke wants to encourage people not to judge one another based on their appearance.

The campaign, created by FP7 and Memac Ogilvy, launches with a film (watch it below) that depicts a group of strangers who have been invited to a dinner party in the dark. The men chat about various subjects and what they have in common. When the lights come up, it reveals a diverse group: A guy with facial tattoos, two men in Arab dress, a man in a wheelchair, and another man in smart business dress.

The group members are then asked to reach under their chairs, where they pull out the Coke cans and their "Labels for cans" messaging.

Coca-Cola Middle East

In a statement, Coca-Cola explains the thinking behind the campaign: "In a time when equality and abolishing prejudices is a hot topic for discussion around the world, how does one of the leading brands like Coca-Cola join in the conversation? In the Middle East, during the month of Ramadan, one of the world's most well-known labels has removed its own label, off its cans, in an effort to promote a world without labels and prejudices."

The Middle East campaign ties in with Coke's global "Let's take an extra second" push, which encourages people to forget stereotypes and take the time to get to know people better.

Motive Trolls Coke for Pepsi

via Agency Spy

Motive launched a new campaign for Pepsi entitled “But Only with Pepsi,” which mocks two Coca-Cola marketing devices: the brand’s polar bear mascot and “Share a Coke with…” name on a bottle packaging. Two new 15-second spots bring the take-downs while hyping Pepsi’s summer promotion offering consumers the chance to win concert tickets.

Watch the spot here.

Both ads open with a voiceover announcing, “This summer you can win tickets every hour to concerts of your choice” as two friends each buy a soda from a vending machine, one a Pepsi and the other a Coke, before the voiceover adds, “…but only with Pepsi.” In the ad with the more better takedown, a girl turns to her friend and says, “At least your name’s on the bottle,” to which she replies, “Do I look like a Larry to you?” It’s a succinct yet effective criticism of the name on a bottle stunt, emphasizing its randomness. A second spot sees a guy reassure his friend, “You still got the polar bear.” The spots promote the Pepsi Pass loyalty program app, which will offer consumers the chance to win tickets to concerts and even the MLB All Star game, as well as dining points at participating restuarants by scanning the barcode on Pepsi products.

“We know that there are few things that grab our fans’ attention as much as seeing our beloved blue and that red next to each other,” Linda Lagos, brand marketing and digital director for Pepsi, told Ad Age. “It’s done well for us in the past, and it’s just something that we know works and that they love to see."

Watch the second spot here.

Lipton Ice Tea Unveils New Summer Campaign

via Talking Retail

Britvic and Pepsi Lipton International have launched a new multi-channel summer campaign for the Lipton Ice Tea brand.

Targeting the brand’s core audience of busy 18-34 year olds, the campaign is centred around a series of London-based events which aim to get Londoners to break from their normal routine and experience their city in a different way. The events series will be supported by advertising, social media activity and experiential sampling.

The first event is set to take place on the 5th June with the first-ever live gig at London’s Sky Garden in the ‘Walkie Talkie’ tower, featuring folk-pop duo Hudson Taylor. Other events will include a 100m slip and slide at Kings Boulevard in Kings Cross on the 19th and 20th June and a DJ set at Old Street Roundabout with legendary DJ Norman Jay MBE on the 10th July. Media partnerships with TimeOut and XFM will encourage users to sign up for a chance to win tickets at www.beadaybreaker.co.uk.

The brand will also be one of the first to host live content from the events on Periscope – the live streaming app, allowing users who can’t attend the morning events to watch them live via streaming. In addition to London-based large format outdoor and tube advertising, the campaign is also underpinned by nationwide print advertising communicating Lipton Ice Tea’s perfect serve, in a newly designed jam jar serve.

The launch of the campaign follows last month’s announcement that Lipton Ice Tea has updated its range by adding a new raspberry-flavoured variant. The new flavour joins existing variants Peach, Lemon and Mango to complete the range. Further to this, the Lipton Ice Tea range has been recently reformulated to contain 30% less sugar which has resulted in each 500ml bottle now containing less than 100 calories. The brand has also refreshed its packaging for the PET and glass bottles with a more premium label, bottle shape and texture; giving the product a more modern look.

Kevin McNair, GB marketing director for Britvic, said: “We are very excited about the launch of this consumer campaign for Lipton Ice Tea. By driving awareness and excitement around the new-look and extended range we are confident the campaign will result in greater sales for retailers and operators alike.”

Coca-Cola Demands You Choose Happiness in This Gritty Anthem Ad for Europe

via Ad Week

Coca-Cola isn't just a soft drink. It's an essential part of the human experience—the key to true happiness—says a grand new ad from the brand in Europe. So, suck up your laziness and bootstrap yourself some soda.

The 70-second anthem by Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam (it's the office's first work for the brand) introduces a new theme, "Choose Happiness," and continues Coke's tradition of casting itself as synonymous with joy. But it takes a more aggressive tone than usual. Not only can you be happy, you should be happy, right now, and all you have to do is reach out and grab it. That Coke, right there on the shelf, that is.

Set to a song and rap by Amsterdam-based HT, the spot (plus a more exhausting, full-blown branded music video, complete with an indecipherable hook) argues that happiness is a choice. Which is sort of true in some contexts, but is also oversimplified advertising-speak.

Click to view

The broad-reaching argument rests in large part on urging you to consider all the dandy things your hands can do. They can make beats, and hold jump ropes, and give hugs. (Incidentally, Coke would also like you to know your hands can make the shape of Coke bottles, if you join them together with other hands.)

The spot deserves credit for including moments that aren't totally pollyanna—there's a lover's spat, and even a pseudo-political statement encouraging protest. But it's also a bit divorced from reality. If you have a hard time smiling with a face full of pepper spray, try washing that down with a Coke—it might settle your stomach, too.

Naturally, what Coca-Cola really means by "Choose Happiness" is that you should choose among the red, green, black and white versions of its product. The branding at the end of the spot includes four bottles—representing Coke's Classic, Life, Zero and Diet offerings—part of a new European strategy to lift the profile of the smaller brands by attaching them to marquee advertising.

That may or may not work, but the creative approach in the anthem spot stems from a familiar problem for any soda marketer: It can't pitch the product on the grounds that you actually need it, so it has to manufacture your desire as well. This is how you should be living, the ad says, in an overbearing, if still somewhat convincing, attempt to lift millennial spirits by pandering to vain conceptions of empowerment.

Click to view extended version

Ad of the Day: Minute Maid Shows What Children Really Think of Their Parents

via Ad Week

Most parents underestimate their parenting skills, at least compared to how their kids view them. That's the premise of Minute Maid's new "Doin' Good" campaign, breaking today.

The four-minute video from Doner Detroit asks at least six moms and dads, "How do you think you're doing?" The parents are surprisingly candid, with one mom saying bluntly, "I failed, I think on a daily basis, to live up to my own expectations. I question if I'm doing a good job." Another parent chimes in: "I love seeing the world in their eyes, but when I can't spend time with them, I do feel like I let them down sometimes."

Then we get their kids' perspectives with a nice mix of ages, from teenagers to elementary school children. The kids write their parents letters, which are are heartfelt—several of them explain the tough experiences their parents have gone through.

Ultimately, the parents get a new perspective on how they're handling their parenting skills.
Watch it here

The idea is a fun twist off of Minute Maid's "Put good in. Get good out" slogan and is part of a broader #doingood campaign that also includes partnering with bloggers, Facebook and YouTube to distribute the video and a new website.