Coke Zero was already a major sponsor of college football, but its initiatives were nearly invisible. Our objectives were to shine a brighter light on this partnership while bringing a larger presence to the college game day occasion. This was accomplished by using the insight that, for real fans, it’s what you do on the days leading up to game day that make you a true fan. Evidence of this insight can be found on college campuses, sports blogs and neighborhoods throughout the football season.

At the end of the college football season the ‘Zero Means it’s Game Day’ campaign generated more than 400-million digital impressions. It also experienced a 272% year-over-year increase in social engagement and enjoyed a 10% increase in brand awareness.

And while “Section Zero” has always been popular among college students, interest in the seating section grew in intensity and popularity as we continuously rewarded the most rabid fans with seats to this coveted section as part of the online push.

The reach of the campaign was further amplified by asking fans to engage with Coke Zero by sharing video of their craziest pre-game rituals and tagging it with #CountdownToZero. The uploaded content lived alongside of the: 15 pre-roll spots at the campaign’s hub: www.CountDownToZero.com. By sharing video with Coke Zero at the hub, fans instantly became eligible to win seats in the popular “Section Zero” bleachers during the daylong, live broadcast of ESPN’s “College Gameday.” Winners were chosen from the best of the user-generated content.

The target is a predominantly male fan of Coca-Cola and college football, 18-54-years old. And while they enjoy Coke, they are generally athletically minded and concerned with calories. Coke Zero allows them to enjoy the real taste of Coke, while keeping calories in check. And while they enjoy most sports, college football is their passion. Thusly, the media plan targeted drinkers at espn.com—the most heavily trafficked sports site on the Internet. Before watching video content containing college football news, they were served-up a :15 ‘Countdown to Zero’ pre-roll spot relevant to that particular day of the week.