Thanks for Coke-Creating

Background: The Situation: This project emerged as a response to the widespread presence of unofficial Coca-Cola logo interpretations found in bodegas, mini markets and mom-and-pop shops globally. In many markets — represented in this project by countries such as Australia, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and more — these unofficial versions hold significant cultural relevance, reflecting the local communities’ creativity and connection to the brand. The decision to collaborate with these shops and celebrate their artwork was a strategic move to honor their contribution to Coca-Cola’s cultural landscape. Against the backdrop of a globalized world, this initiative underscores Coca-Cola’s commitment to authenticity and inclusivity, resonating with diverse audiences while amplifying the brand’s cultural relevance. Brief: Strengthen the relationship with local markets and small shops by engaging with their local communities, while also highlighting them to a broader Coca-Cola audience. Objectives: Foster brand loyalty, strengthen community ties and amplify brand visibility through collaboration with local shops. Creative Idea: The natural path for a brand as big as Coca-Cola would be to regulate these unofficial versions of its branding. Standardize them. Maybe even take them down. But Coca-Cola has always been about diversity, inclusion and communities. So we decided to take an unconventional path for these unconventional versions of Coca-Cola. We decided to embrace them. A mural that could be seen as an incorrect creation by some will now be viewed as a co-creation with Coke. We showcased them in our official communication as a way of highlighting this behavior and validating hundreds of Coke-Creations. Saying out loud that they are not only welcome — in fact, we appreciate the time and effort that these shop owners and painters have put into the Coca-Cola brand. After all, as one of the media headlines on the project stated, these informal Coke logos are “the ultimate user-generated content.” Insights & Strategy: The natural path for a brand as big as Coca-Cola would be to regulate these unofficial versions of its branding. Standardize them. Maybe even take them down. But Coca-Cola has always been about diversity, inclusion and communities. So we decided to take an unconventional path for these unconventional versions of Coca-Cola. We decided to embrace them. A mural that could be seen as an incorrect creation by some will now be viewed as a co-creation with Coke. We showcased them in our official communication as a way of highlighting this behavior and validating hundreds of Coke-Creations. Saying out loud that they are not only welcome — in fact, we appreciate the time and effort that these shop owners and painters have put into the Coca-Cola brand. After all, as one of the media headlines on the project stated, these informal Coke logos are “the ultimate user-generated content.” Execution: We searched for local shops around the globe, including in Australia, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico. And we partnered with them to validate and showcase hundreds of Coke-Creations through outdoor, print, and social ads. We locally advertised them to their home audiences using media placements near the businesses. Then, in global markets, we showed to everyone — from our general audience to other small businesses — that it is OK to Coke-Create. Newly designed Coca-Cola cans, with the informal logos replacing the official one, came to life and were also delivered directly to their original “creators.” These informal logos generated a new design approach that redesigned the brand’s touch points: from fridges to vending machines, delivery trucks to merchandising — including a clothing collection. Finally, we created a book with nearly 30 different Coke-Creations, with fine-art photography of the shops and their owners to recognize these unexpected designers. Results: “Thanks for Coke-Creating" helped small businesses in a way they never thought possible. Moreover, it generated massive impact, garnering interest from top publications around the world such as AdAge and Fast Company, with a unique 3.78 billion reach, serving as a call to action to inspire everyone globally to continue Coke-Creating. Coca-Cola's celebration of unofficial logo interpretations resulted in a 95% increase in positive brand sentiment, a remarkable 34% increase over Coca-Cola's social average, underscoring the profound admiration the local communities and the general audience had for the campaign, all while enhancing Coca-Cola's reputation and reinforcing its commitment to authenticity and inclusivity. Interviews conducted with participants revealed that the project inspired shop owners to continue their creative expressions and fostered a sense of pride and ownership within their communities.