Cannes Lions

The Coca-Cola Alphabet

WUNDERMAN THOMPSON, Sao Paulo / COCA-COLA / 2023

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OVERVIEW

Description

BACKGROUND

Coca-Cola's single-serve packs are the most profitable SKUs within the brand's portfolio, but as covid emerged, consumption was immediately hit since they are focused on moments on the go.

Abruptly, sales collapsed, with a steep 62.5% decline in a few months.

(see Appendix 2-Volume)

CREATIVE CHALLENGE

It wasn't just our sales that were collapsing: people's attempts to share optimism and keep the world positive were also stumbling. As much as there were zoom parties and other socially-distant attempts, people still felt like this wasn't enough for them to spread optimism and keep the world positive.

So what if Coca-Cola did something concrete to encourage and enable people to share optimism?

SOLUTION

Our strategy and idea were, in fact, the same thing: we transformed Coke cans and small bottles to create an experience, with a solution that reinforced our promise while generating purchase: the Coca-Cola Alphabet.

Cans, that weren’t only cans: they were 26 letters and special characters for people to write all they wanted! An idea intrinsically sales-generating.

Unlike other brand actions in which only one product was needed to participate, to form a word it was necessary to buy many SKUs - and all the vowels were in Sugar-Free packs. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola increased its recycling programs across Latam so an increase on weight of purchase didn't necessarily mean an increase in weight on the environment.

This was a bold move. We'd invite people to spread optimism, but they had control over what would be written. So how could we help them share optimism through our packs?

EXECUTION

1. Presentation:

We launched a powerful awareness campaign in collaboration with Big Brother Brazil, a reality show with a daily audience similar to the Super Bowl. The experience we created worked like a tutorial: in a contest for the house’s leadership, participants used our packs to form positive words, showing millions of people how to form their messages.

(see Appendix 3-Presentation BBB)

We also presented it in OOHs and subways, where real cans wrote messages; and collaborated with YouTube creators “Porta dos Fundos”, known for a famous video about Coca-Cola in the past. In the new version, a supermarket clerk declared his love to a co-worker through the cans displayed on the shelf. The video was the channel’s most viewed in 2021.

(see Appendix 4-Presentation PDF&OOH)

2. Education:

To show different ways of writing, we collaborated with Creators. There were 25 personalities handpicked using criteria that went beyond reach and engagement, considering their diversity and humor.

(see Appendix 5-Education)

3. Celebration:

The idea was so engaging that people found many ways to share. We followed everything and, with authorization, celebrated. There were kids using cans to learn to read, people revealing their new baby’s names, Women's Day celebrations, birthday-themed parties, fans forming bands' names, and even marriage proposals. Besides this, many restaurants used the Alphabet for self promotion. In the end, people created more than 5 million contents tagging Coca-Cola or using our hashtag.

(see Appendix 6-Celebration and 7-The Effect)

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