The carbonated drinks market has surged since 2017. The Coca-Cola Company is still #1 with its range of many brands, and while some of these fit into the big growth segments, such as healthier & functional and niche, it is determined to protect its core assets, primarily Coca-Cola but also Sprite.
Coca-Cola made a splash before Christmas in the UK with its series of Hollywood style short films, VMLY&R’s The Santa Stories, and globally with The World Needs More Santas, a Christmas story about kindness that read the mood of the moment.
Now it is shoring up its family’s popularity with a 90-second film, New Guy by agency, Majority (with Shaquille O’Neal in 2021) in the US, and four The World Needs More Santas’ activations, the newest of which is the Merry Birthday stunt by WPP Open X, led by AKQA.
New Guy is a relatable sitcom-style 90-seconds about a new boyfriend thrust into a family get together (set on game day), filled with a lot!! of product placement as well as humour and heart. The film was directed by Christopher Storer, creator and showrunner for Hulu’s hit TV series, The Bear, and produced by Smuggler. It is the first time in the company’s 137 history that the Coca-Cola family has come together in one cohesive story.
Credits
Client: The Coca-Cola Company
Creative Agency: Majority
Chief Executive Officer: Omid Farhang
Chief Marketing Officer: Jorge Hernandez
Creative Director: Nicolo Giarrano
Associate Creative Director: Jake Tannery
Art Director: Barbara Rego
Design Director: Lonnie Garner
Producer: Christine Presto
Account Director:Estefania Calvachi
Account Executive: Paula Bermudez
Strategy Director: Matt Mclaren
Business Affairs Manager: Bill Meadows
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: Christopher Storer
Executive Producers: Patrick Milling-Smith, Brian Carmody & Sue Yeon Ahn
Head Of Production: Alex Hughes
Producer: Carmen Bosely
Production Supervisor: Holli Mcginley
Coordinators: Jeremy Freeman & Sean Callahan
1st AD: Duccio Fabbri
Director Of Photography: Drew Wehde
Production Designer: Sam Lisenco
Post Production: Leroi
Producer: Sydney Charvat
Executive Producer: Evan Wolf Buxbaum
Coordinator: Devin Peluso
Colourist: Mishel Hassidim
Editing: Senior Post
Music & Sound: Beacon Street Studios
Composers: Andrew Feltenstein, John Nau & Danny Dunlap
Executive Producer: Leslie Dilullo
Sound Designer: Rommel Molina
Sound Mix: Kate Vadnais
Merry Birthday begins with the premise that people with birthdays close to Christmas get short-changed – fewer presents, less focus. The activation by WPP Open X led by AKQA and supported by Ogilvy PR, aims to transform the millions of birthdays overshadowed by Christmas into the stars of the season and invite the world to celebrate them together.
The campaign chose Olivia Houssiaux, born on December 22, as its star. Coca-Cola took over her hometown of Cascais, Portugal to throw an unforgettable – unsurpassable – birthday celebration. 600 local resident actors were secretly spread throughout the city centre, moonlighting as shoppers, vendors, and members of the public, to appear as if it were a normal day and not arouse any suspicion, before culminating in the ultimate surprise birthday party. Olivia was surprised with family and old and new friends to celebrate with – something she doesn’t usually get to experience due to the time of year.
Director, Pedro Varela, from Portuguese production company, Blanche, hid more than 15 cameras to capture the moment. Coca-Cola invited the world to participate by tuning into the live broadcast on its social channels and encouraged people to share their happy birthday wishes on social using #MerryBirthday.
This fourth and final activation in The World Needs More Santas Christmas campaign joins the TVC of the same name, the digital Find Your Inner Santa quiz, the two Christmas Santa Stories and an AI card generator.
Credits
Client: The Coca-Cola Company
Head Of Strategy: Islam Eldessouky
Agency: WPP Open X
Creative Agency: AKQA UK
Production Company: Blanche
PR: Ogilvy UK
