Situation:

From the outside, the cities of China may appear grand, but homogenous. Couple this with the Chinese government’s agenda of pushing for neutral identity, it was easy for a brand like Coca-Cola to fall into the trap of interpreting “togetherness” as a celebration of a thriving modern society in large due to collective agreeance. A one-size-fits-all fallacy.

Brief:

As a brand that symbolised “togetherness”, we set out to identify the thing that truly brings Chinese millennials together. Which, oddly enough, starts with their differences. This led us to a common passion that united Chinese youths.

Objectives:

• Increase sales volume by 30% (with a 30% price upscale – as the campaign was for a new sleek can format launch)

• Increase Brand Love by 2%

• Increase brand impressions among Chinese youth on Social by 20% versus previous year

Unlike what is commonly portrayed in western media, China’s diversity went beyond skin-deep.

Home to over 600 cities and 200 dialects, diversity existed in the different thoughts and aspirations of the city-hopping, highly mobile Chinese youths that reside in the thriving urban Chinese cities of today.

Yet, cities are often reduced to their cityscapes, defined by their landmarks. But they are just outward trappings. The people are the cities. And it is these cities that live in us.

It is through these cities, that the diversity of China is formed.

Referencing Don Norman, the “godfather” of user-centered design, we created a can design aimed to trigger a personal response at the Reflective Level.

Understanding that cities play an important role in people’s life, we personified the top 23 cities in China based on their top characteristics (voted by youths). Each illustration aimed at triggering the fond memories the person have of the city displayed.

This resonated with our target audience, dubbed the “New Mainstream” - Chinese youths who live in the coastal regions of China – in big cities where youths move in pursuit of better education and job opportunities. They were aged 20 to 39, well-educated and were known to consume more higher-end categories within existing brands.

We then created a mobile-first campaign, understanding that these teens are mobile natives, who shift from various social sharing and video platforms.

Beginning from the can:

The can designs were created to complement each other when displayed on retail shelves. The iconic landmarks weaved into the illustrations to help people identify their favorite cans easily.

From Can to Mobile:

When scanned, teens were transported back to their beloved cities through an AR-immersive experience in collaboration with Baidu, China’s largest search engine. Activities included a 360 city tour, a real-time map to interact with other people online, and trivia games.

Further Amplification:

Social: KOLs were engaged to share their personal city stories

Digital / Mobile: Targeted ads based on demographics and interest were also served throughout the campaign

TVC: TVC spots were shown on high-rated local programs and premium spots on VIP accounts

Partnerships: Restaurants and retailers were engaged to further promote the can

Timeline:

The campaign ran for two months in March and April.

Business Impact:

• Increased sales volume by 226% versus previous year.

• Increased Brand Love scores by 6.8% versus previous year.

Communications Impact:

• Cans were scanned 4.8 million times

• Social and Digital - 640 million impressions

Value-Add to the Brand:

• City Cans went a level deeper into local culture than any Share a Coke campaign had, teens began to identify themselves through the cans, posting their own city stories. Others began collecting the different cities to reflect their diverse identities. The cans became a symbol of who they were.

• The design of the cans also gave new life to a traditional medium by providing an offline to online experience, making it relevant to Coca-Cola’s mobile-first audience.

City Cans is now a global charter, and will be rolling out this summer in United Kingdom, Turkey, Mexico, Pakistan and United States of America.