Coca-Cola has a strong brand proposal: Be a democratic brand, within arm's reach of anyone who wants Coke. When it comes to having democratic communication, we still have a long way to go and get closer to the black community. It would already be a problem in any market, but in Brazil it was urgent: We're talking about the blackest country outside the African Continent.

Afropunk, the largest black culture festival in the world, which for the first time was held in Brazil in November-2021, was the perfect opportunity to strengthen this relationship, give visibility to this audience and keep on associating Coca-Cola with music -one of our main territories-.

To join the event and boost our sponsor, we had main objectives with a limited budget:

1. Build up a closer relationship between Coca-Cola and black audience, generating engagement.

2. Positive reactions with the campaign to create a true connection.

How could Coca-Cola talk about the brand's new campaign (Real Magic) and build up a closer relationship with black audience when things are not that magical in their lives?

We recognize black culture's value and merit, but instead of celebrating it through the lenses of fighting, like it's usually done, we did it through a new perspective: LOVE. Historically only white people have been protagonists of love in Brazilian entertainment. Racism took away black's universal right to be loved. After the black community revolutionized several areas, it was time to show that love is revolutionary.

To show Coca-Cola's support, we transformed our classic glass bottle into a weapon of love. Love Bottle kits came with an empty bottle and, inside, a piece of fabric illustrated by black artists to represent the black love of the Brazilian black artists. The kits were specially sent to influential artists and fans that celebrate

It was a hard scenario for an optimistic brand to join: inequality, protests, deaths. Black people were facing a revolution in many areas and we could not just simply bring our message about a magical reality. We had to put blacks first, join this revolution by giving them a voice and the tools to one day bring this better reality we are communicating to everyone.

Love was the perfect argument to place ourselves: A sentiment that could make everything more special, more colorful, but has always been in white people's hands, is now a way to bring our target, men and women from 18 to 34 years old, together and change the entertainment in Brazil, starting with music.

The project unfolded in three steps:

CREATING CONVERSATION

We joined the conversation before the event, with media on PR and sending our LoveBottles to Brazilian black influential artists to spread the stories across the country, warming up the brand's presence at the event.

Artists used their credibility to showcase the fabric's stories and spread the message.

BOOSTING THE PARTICIPATION

At the event Coca-Cola had an instagrammable space for photos, communications before the presentations, and a special participation at the Afro group Ilê Aiyê show. They reinforced the manifesto and slogan, “Love is revolutionary”, and used LoveBottles as part of the dance performance.

Artists who received the bottles used the fabric as an accessory, transforming it into a symbol of black empowerment.

SHARING

Afterwards, people also spread their black love everywhere and Coca-Cola amplified these images on social channels. A powerful message, turned into a powerful movement. A celebration of love.

Our main objectives were "build up a closer relationship with black audience" and "get positive reactions" and we did it. People loved our communication and LoveBottles!

With 13% less investment, we got 54% more impressions than MTV MIAW, the previous Coke sponsorship (24.6MM vs. 16MM), 216k views and 83K engagement with people commenting thousands of hearts and stories on artists and our social media. Our bottles became a vehicle for black people to celebrate their love: for spouses, families, friends.

Our communication was also greatly appreciated by Afropunk who posted it on their Brazilian and Global pages, reaching international level, spreading our love message and black culture to the world and positioning ourselves during one of the best moments of the festival: 700% more engagement on social media compared to the pre-warm up, +18MM people reached to celebrate black culture power, +75% of organic interactions, 234 articles published.