How Coca-Cola Made 32 Local Anthems From One Global World Cup Theme

Via AdAge

David Correy performs in Rio de Janeiro with Gaby Ama

 

When Coca-Cola's marketers began plotting efforts around this summer's World Cup in Brazil, there was no question a musical anthem would be key to the effort.

Four years ago, the company first experimented with the creation of a song tied to World Cup. The remix of K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag" served to weave together campaign elements and gave the marketer a way to tap into local markets. Twenty-four local versions of the song were created, with local artists singing in their respective languages. "Wavin' Flag" topped iTunes charts in 17 countries and hit the top 20 in two dozen countries, selling more than 2.5 million downloads.

This year's song, "The World Is Ours," boasts 32 versions, with several more expected to debut in the days leading up to kick-off on June 12. Versions have been rolled out over the past nine months, as the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, also sponsored by Coca-Cola, progressed. Emmanuel Seuge, VP-global alliances and ventures at Coca-Cola, said the brand wanted to create a "journey" for "The World Is Ours" to combat the short lifespan many songs are relegated to in the music industry.
  

Coca-Cola tapped David Correy, a Brazilian who was given up for adoption and raised in Maryland, to sing "The World Is Ours." The brand discovered Mr. Correy, interestingly enough, though the U.S. version of "The X-Factor," which was once sponsored by rival Pepsi. He competed during the show's second season.

"We wanted to find an artist that was up and coming, that was true to Brazil," Mr. Seuge said.

"Each country we went to, we localized the song, brought in a local artist, jointly with David," Mr. Seuge explained. "It feels Brazilian, yet adding a local voice, a local flavor makes it very relevant, very special for each of those local countries."

It's another way the beverage giant has tried to convince its local marketers around to world to buy into the global effort. "The World's Cup" is Coca-Cola's largest campaign to date, with 175 markets, or 85% of its 207 markets, adopting the program. By comparison, 100 markets embraced the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games campaign.

Brazilian percussion ensemble Monobloco worked with Brazilian-born producer Mario Caldato Jr. to record the song's rhythm tracks. Rock Mafia handled the lyrics and melody. The official version features Aloe Blacc, an American singer, and has already reached the Top 10 charts in 40 countries and the Top 100 charts in 80 countries.

Brands Take Aim at Hispanic World Cup Fans

Via AdWeek

So what if the U.S. is in the World Cup’s “Group of Death” and has to win against Germany, Portugal and Ghana to make it to the next round? Advertisers aren’t shying away. If anything, they’re introducing themselves to a global audience, notably Hispanic fans.

Ahead of the 31-day sports spectacle, which starts on June 12, Spanish-language broadcaster Univision has seen a doubling of digital ad spend on its properties compared to the last World Cup. On the homepage of the U.S. National Soccer Team, a Chips Ahoy ad is running in Spanish. And, Sporting News Media chief revenue officer Rich Routman said that approximately 40 percent of brands interested in advertising on International soccer portal Goal.com want their message to specifically reach Hispanic eyeballs. “If the U.S. gets knocked out early, this becomes a very multicultural and Hispanic proposition,” said Routman.

The games are especially lucrative for digital properties, considering that soccer doesn’t have natural breaks in the game for commercials. VML’s managing director of analytics and insights Eric Beane said digital budgets have gone up since the last WC, and more brands are taking advantage of online interactive opportunities for die-hard fans. “We’re seeing a lot of clients trying to reach emerging markets and a global audience,” Beane said. “[Soccer] is the right platform to do that.”

One of Goal.com’s advertisers, Gatorade, is using the site to tout its Unreal Around the World global contest, in which amateur soccer athletes give personal accounts of how practice has improved their game play. Winners get to meet professional teams including Arsenal, FC Barcelona and A.C. Milan. Molly Carter, Gatorade’s senior director of consumer engagement, said while this global campaign wasn’t created only for the Hispanic market, it was intended to reach historically interested parties. “As a media buy, we definitely heavy up the dollars in Hispanic markets,” she said.

Even ESPN has seen an increase in interest for its Spanish-targeted properties. AT&T will sponsor its digital interactive World Cup bracket in both English and Spanish, and ESPN Deportes will boost the main U.S. English broadcast with more than 12 hours of live news and coverage daily.

The sports media giant is also relaunching a more mobile-friendly espnfc.com on June 1. This is the first World Cup the soccer portal has been active, and ESPN is hoping to make it a global product for new audiences.

“In many places around the world, we are a digital-first company,” said Eric Johnson, evp for global multimedia sales. “It’s going to be the halo for our [soccer] coverage and our umbrella brand for our digital venture during the World Cup.”

Even though it had focused most of its efforts on Latin American markets during the 2010 World Cup, McDonald’s is expanding to include all demographic groups this year. Its digital push is an augmented reality soccer game that pops up when consumers scan soccer-themed fries packaging.

“It’s getting broad enough that the same passion for the sport is being expressed everywhere,” said Matt Biespiel, McDonald’s senior director of global marketing. “That’s why we’re betting that this is the year.”

Coke Wants You to Float Away to Happy Land on Another Impossibly Sweet Ad

Via AdWeek

Coca-Cola's ad strategy basically comes down to bombarding you with joy and togetherness, and a new animated spot from Wieden + Kennedy continues that tradition.

A boy bumps into a girl and lets go of a red balloon he's carrying, so he can catch the Coca-Cola she drops, because what better way to charm in a Coke commercial than to save a Coke. The camera follows the balloon as it rises past the windows of a brick building, peering into a range of shared family milestones and moments, all, naturally, including little red-wrapped bottles of sugar water.

Couples are, variously, moving in together; holding a tea party with their young daughter; visiting their college-aged son; cooking and dancing together; and celebrating their 50th anniversary. All the while, singer-songwriter Wendy Colonna croons in the background about finding happiness in a pair. It's the slightest bit reminiscent of Up, but mostly an adorable and incredibly efficient bit of storytelling that's right in the brand's wheelhouse.

Coca-Cola is no stranger to animated ads (e.g., the Polar Bears and Happiness Factory) or twee soundtracks, and it'll never stop pumping viewers full of bubbly feelings until they forget—or just stop caring—that the product isn't really that good for them, even if the brand does occasionally mix in a little sass.