Coca-Cola's Festive Ad Spreads Joy and Kindness with a Spectacular TV Moment
Coca-Cola aims to evoke a heartwarming Christmas spirit in their new ad by emphasizing kindness, a core value that lies at the center of their holiday campaign Harnessing the power of TV, they seek to create a remarkable and unforgettable festive moment
Coca-Cola has launched its 2023 Christmas ad that takes a different approach by focusing on the theme of "kindness" rather than solely promoting its products.
Titled 'The World Needs More Santas', the ad centers around the concept that anyone can embody their inner Santa through acts of kindness. Kindness holds significant importance as one of the core values for the Coca-Cola brand. Islam ElDessouky, trademark Coca-Cola global creative, strategy and content lead, highlights that kindness has been a driving principle for the brand for quite some time.
In 2013, Coca-Cola initiated a campaign called 'Kindness goes Viral', which was a continuation of their successful 'Share a Coke' campaign. The brand believed that this message was particularly meaningful during the festive season and aimed to incorporate the same values into their Christmas campaign.
Coca-Cola doesn't avoid discussing their product, according to ElDessouky. They accomplish this through various channels, including ecommerce, online platforms, and occasionally on TV with campaigns that celebrate the combination of Coke with food.
During Christmas, however, ElDessouky explains that the brand aims to share a meaningful story and emphasize more human narratives and values, rather than focusing primarily on the product.
The brand's association with Christmas and Santa Claus has been long-standing. Its iconic ad, 'Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming)', featuring Coca-Cola Christmas trucks and Santa himself, was first aired in 1995. Despite its age, the ad consistently outperforms more modern ads from other brands in testing.
According to System1, Coca-Cola has been the second-best performing festive advertiser in the last three years. The firm assigns a 'star rating' between one and 5.9 to all of the year's festive ads as a predictive indicator of their brand-building ability. Over the past three years, Coca-Cola has consistently averaged 5.6 in the ranking.
Coca-Cola chose not to create a second advertisement in the UK last year, opting to only run the popular Holidays are Coming ad. However, this year, both Holidays are Coming and The World Needs More Santas will be aired in the UK. Unlike other brands satisfied with just one successful festive commercial, Coca-Cola considers the release of this new ad an opportunity to strengthen their bond with consumers.
"We strive to uncover the requirements and possibilities we can explore, despite the immense popularity and profound cultural significance of Coca-Cola," ElDessouky explains.
However, the Coke brand is cautious about engaging in every event. The marketing team thoroughly evaluates whether opportunities to engage with consumers align with its core values and rich heritage.
In relation to Christmas and Santa Claus, Coca-Cola has successfully established authorization to engage in this realm through the implementation of new celebratory campaigns, while also sustaining their renowned Holidays are Coming creative approach, asserts the source.
During the Coca-Cola Company's latest earnings call, CEO James Quincey discussed the shift in the company's media investment strategy. In 2019, less than 30% of their total media spend was allocated to digital channels. However, the company has now increased its digital spending to over 60%. Quincey recognized that younger consumers, especially Gen Z, are moving away from traditional TV and gravitating towards alternative media platforms. By adjusting its media mix, Coca-Cola aims to better connect with this demographic.
"The way marketing evolves is a direct reflection of our understanding of people. As individuals and their needs undergo transformations, we continuously adapt," highlights Elif Kaypak, the global marketing lead.
Certain occasions still warrant capturing significant attention through television broadcasts.
Islam ElDessouky, Coca-Cola
While Coca-Cola is investing more in its digital channels, it has made a major investment in TV through the launch of this campaign.
ElDessouky believes that certain moments hold enough significance to warrant a grand television presence. Coca-Cola, for instance, considers Christmas, Ramadan, and the Super Bowl in the US as prime opportunities to connect with a larger audience who are actively engaged in television consumption during these occasions.
The campaign additionally features a quiz that allows consumers to discover their unique "Santa archetype" and encourages them to share it on social media.
As part of Coca-Cola's broader marketing transformation, there has been a shift towards allocating more resources to digital channels. Another aspect of this transformation involves transitioning from a "one way" marketing approach, where messages are directed at consumers, to a more interactive and human-centered approach.
Being more interactive with consumers and actively seeking input from them on social media and in real-life situations can greatly enhance a brand's ability to effectively connect with its target audience. By humanizing the brand and creating opportunities for people to engage and communicate with it, a stronger relationship can be built, resulting in increased love and loyalty towards the brand.
The ultimate measure of The World Needs More Santas' success lies in its effectiveness in increasing the metric of 'weekly plus', which represents the number of individuals regularly consuming Coke each week.
Coca-Cola aims to promote both a sense of "brand love" and an increase in regular Coke consumption through its marketing efforts. ElDessouky perceives no conflict in striving to inspire both affection for the brand and achieving commercial objectives.
"The company's overarching mission is to revitalise and create an impact," he expresses, echoing the company's primary business objective. He highlights that the commitment to refreshing consumers is an integral aspect of the company's operations, yet it also endeavours to make a meaningful difference by fostering acts of kindness.
The World Needs More Santas is part of the brand platform 'Real Magic', which was introduced in 2021. While Coca-Cola has been utilizing this platform for the past two years, ElDessouky emphasizes that the brand is just beginning to tap into its potential. Additionally, he mentions that there are numerous possibilities to bring Real Magic to life, and the brand has no plans of discontinuing the platform in the near future.
"We are a brand that has been established by predecessor titans," he asserts, highlighting the importance of steadfastness. As the means evolve for our brand, the core essence of Coca-Cola's message remains unwavering, he affirms.
