Although Brazil is a very friendly country, at the same time is one of the most homophobic ones, with homophobic crime rates still being one of the worst in the world. People not only make fun of homosexuals, but often use physical violence. And, like any other country, many Brazilians keep making fun of them, using offensive expressions. One of the most famous one is: “Essa Coca é Fanta” which in English means: “That Coke is a Fanta”. For many years this expression was used to hurt and discriminate against others.

In support to international LGBT+ pride day, Coca-Cola launched a limited edition can. A red Coke can with orange Fanta inside, featuring the message: “That Coke is a Fanta. So what?” A special can that ignores labels, challenges prejudice and empowers people. Showing that there’s nothing wrong about a Coke being a Fanta. The iconic cans carrying this simple message were designed to become a statement for the fight against prejudice.

With Coca-Cola owning both brands, we had the best-case scenario. We created special iconic red Coca-Cola cans with the message printed on the surface: “That Coke is a Fanta. So, what?”. By the end we had the final product, a Coke with Fanta inside. The cans were initially distributed in small scale and to key influencers, but they took over social media and the streets, with people making their own DIY Coca /Fanta bottles, carnival costumes, clothes, cellphone covers, transforming this expression in a symbol for Coke and Brazilians to fight prejudice.

- 1 Billion media impressions for a local market idea, with 0 U$ media spent.

- Google search bar is one of the best thermometer of pop culture in Brazil and we changed it without media spent, only organic reach and engagement. If you searched “Essa Coca É Fanta” on Google in the past, the first thing that pops up on search was homophobic memes, all related to homophobic words. Now, “Essa Coca é Fanta” is related to empowerment and pride terms.

- Biggest search on Google history for the term

“That Coke is a Fanta”.

- Trending topic on Twitter.

- The can changed a Homophobic expression into an empowering statement.

The past year, Coca-Cola Brazil saw a decline in sales among younger generations (20-35), mainly due to a lack of relevance with the brand, perceived as too old-school, or traditional. As we explored potential business solutions, we quickly realized the first thing to do in order to convert them into the next generation of Coca-Cola drinkers was to first capture their hearts. With LGBT rights being a hot topic in the media, it was the right time to make a statement. While “Essa Coca é Fanta” has always been a pejorative term, a huge brand like Coca-Cola taking action and reinterpreting its meaning into a positive one was the right move to re-connect with the younger crowd they were in risk of losing. The solution was literally in our hands.

The world is full of homophobic expressions such as “He plays for the other team” or “He is a pillow bitter”. In Brazil, one of the most famous expressions is “Essa Coca é Fanta” which in English means: “That Coke is a Fanta”. For years, this expression was used to make fun of the LGBT+ community in the country. Hundreds of pejorative memes were created and even songs, all with the discriminatory intentions. It was time for us to do something about that.