Who Gets the Coke? Fans Determine Storyline of Coca-Cola Big Game Ad Campaign in Real Time
During the most hotly contested gridiron game next month, teams on the
quest for the ultimate refreshment will be battling online rather than
on the field. This year, Coca-Cola is “gamifying” the Big Game. Through
an unprecedented second screen experience, fan engagement within
digital, social and mobile will drive the outcome of Coca-Cola’s Big
Game broadcast television commercials in real time.
The Company will launch a 30-second trailer for the campaign on January
23, across all major television outlets. The trailer, a call to action
for fans to kick-off the Coke Chase, encourages them to log on to CokeChase.com
to vote for their favorite team and sabotage their fictional foes. The
first-of-its-kind campaign follows three factions of characters – a band
of Cowboys, a gang of “Badlanders” and a pack of Vegas-style Showgirls –
as they chase after an elusive bottle of Coca-Cola. The campaign’s
60-second commercial, entitled “Mirage,” will live online at
CokeChase.com until its television debut on February 3rd,
during the first half of the game. Fans’ actions will determine how the
storyline plays out, and following the final whistle of the Big Game,
one of three produced 30-second payoff ads will air to complete the
narrative.
“The Big Game is the ultimate platform for showcasing brands’
preeminent advertising, but this year we’re also using America’s biggest
stage to kick-off Coca-Cola’s marketing efforts for the entire year that
will focus on Coke as the ultimate refresher,” said Pio Schunker, Senior
Vice President of Integrated Marketing Communications, Coca-Cola North
America. “We’re raising the bar from last year’s Big Game campaign,
we’re being bolder than ever before, and we’re experimenting with even
more second-screen innovation.”
The Mirage
In “Mirage,” the Cowboys, Badlanders and Showgirls spot and pursue a
distant vision of an ice-cold bottle of Cola-Cola in the middle of a
blazing hot desert. All that stands in their way is the sand, the
heat…and each other. With sweat on their brows and refreshment on their
minds, the groups set off on horseback, dune buggies and even a
glamorous, glittery bus toward the object of their affection. Members
from each faction are caught up in playful skirmishes and melees as they
speed across the sand, until they finally arrive at their
destination…which turns out not to be an actual Coke, but a billboard
promising refreshment a mere 50 miles ahead. Undeterred, the Showgirls,
Badlanders and Cowboys are seen following the direction of the sign,
igniting the chase, and turning fans to CokeChase.com to get in on the
game. Real-time updates on the Chase and character engagement will take
place on every major form of digital and social media. While the stars
of “Mirage” make their big TV debut, they also will spring to life on
Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and Instagram, giving fans more ways
to interact with a Coca-Cola campaign than ever before.
As the final whistle blows and the winner of the Big Game is celebrated,
Coca-Cola will reveal the winner of the Coke Chase based on fan
participation throughout the game via a 30-second commercial that
completes the journey. Each of the three 30-second spots depicts a
different faction capturing the few remaining bottles of Coke available
at the remote Oasis Mart. All three will be cued and ready for broadcast
while The Coca-Cola Company representatives tabulate fan votes and
deduct points for sabotages. As the winning team is determined,
Coca-Cola will work with the network to air the spot that earned the
most fan support.
After the winning 30-second commercial hits the airwaves, anyone who
Likes or Follows the Coke Chase will be rewarded with additional
content, and the first 50,000 people who participated in the Chase and
log on to, or sign-up for, MyCokeRewards will receive a coupon for a
free bottle of their choice of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke or Coke Zero as a
thank you.
Creating connections with retailers is another key initiative for this
year’s Big Game campaign. Partnering with Coca-Cola in the lead up to
their biggest selling day of the year, Domino’s Pizza and Coca-Cola will
bring “Mirage” to life together online. From MyCokeRewards Instant Wins
to Coca-Cola being integrated directly into Domino’s Online Ordering
page and Pizza Tracker, Domino’s and Coca-Cola have created a winning
strategy. Another first, Domino’s will be exclusively integrated into
Coca-Cola’s Big Game creative execution on CokeChase.com.
“This year’s Coca-Cola Big Game campaign represents the way our Company
is evolving as a marketer,” said Stuart Kronauge, General Manager of
Sparkling Beverages, Coca-Cola North America. “We’re celebrating the
liquid and reminding people that Coca-Cola is the ultimate refresher and
engaging them in an unprecedented social experience. This fully
integrated fan experience transcends simple TV advertising, hands over
the power to our fans and creates new connections with retail on
America’s biggest advertising stage.”
The Coke Chase
Coca-Cola will begin driving fans to CokeChase.com through a 30-second
teaser spot that will flood television networks 11 days before the Game
Day coin toss. In addition, creative will appear on the Coca-Cola
Digital Network outdoor boards encouraging audiences to log on and vote.
Coca-Cola will begin driving visitors to CokeChase.com through social
media and a paid media campaign that kicks off with a YouTube takeover
on January 23. At CokeChase.com, visitors will get a first look at the
60-second ad and can begin voting for their favorite faction
immediately. Voting will remain open until the final whistle of the Big
Game blows.
Once they’ve cast a vote, visitors can extend the fun by committing an
act of “sabotage” against an opposing group. An act of sabotage delays
rival teams giving fans an opportunity to truly impact the outcome while
engaging in fun content. Fifteen different sabotages depicting a
light-hearted scenario, event or detour were filmed – five adversely
affecting each faction. Nine will be unlocked for gaming prior to
February 3rd.
Fans can share the fun with their social networks by casting a vote for
their favorite group on Twitter by using hashtags supporting the
#CokeShowgirls, #CokeCowboys or #CokeBadlanders. Those who cast a vote
on game-day by tweeting @CocaCola with their favorite faction’s hashtag
will receive responses from the team, including a link to the sabotage
page on CokeChase.com where they can continue the rally. The Company’s
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter platforms will play a major role in
delivering real-time updates on the factions’ progress, and additional
Chase and character content will appear on Tumblr and Instagram. Across
these channels, fans will find themselves in the middle of the action
and receive a “behind-the-scenes” look at the characters in their
pursuit of the ultimate refreshment on Game Day. The entire
digital experience is optimized for desktop, mobile and tablets to
provide the best possible experience on any device.
This is the seventh consecutive year Coca-Cola commercials will appear
during the Big Game broadcast. Coca-Cola worked with Wieden + Kennedy in
Portland, Ore. to create and produce “Mirage,” its three 30-second
alternate endings, all 15 sabotage scenes and the program centerpiece,
CokeChase.com.
“Mirage” exemplifies what people have come to expect – and demand – from
such an iconic brand. It also follows the launch of two new
groundbreaking ads, “Be Ok” and “Coming Together,” which reinforce The
Company’s role in addressing the important issues of our time while
continuing to create engaging campaigns that educate our fans and build
brand love.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The
Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage
company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still
brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's
portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta,
Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply,
Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling
beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through
the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than
200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a
day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities,
our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental
footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work
environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of
the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners,
we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than
700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey
at www.coca-colacompany.com,
follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo
or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.
