Coca-Cola launches the brand’s first major campaign following pandemic: Open Like Never Before
10 August 2020
· Coca-Cola has partnered with George “The Poet” Mpanga – London spoken word performer – to launch the brand’s first major campaign since pausing its commercial advertising in Great Britain in April
· The campaign, featuring a manifesto poem written by George The Poet marks a time of social and cultural change and encourages people to be open like never before
· The multi-million-pound, integrated campaign will run in Great Britain and across wider European markets from 1 August
· Campaign features innovative Ad Generator platform where small business in hospitality sector can receive free adverts and paid media support to help them get back on their feet following pandemic
Coca-Cola Great Britain has today announced the launch of a brand-new campaign, Open Like Never Before. Featuring a manifesto poem written specifically for Coca-Cola by award-winning spoken word artist, George The Poet, the campaign aims to mark a time of social and cultural change post pandemic.
Founded on the promise of new possibilities discovered as a result of the lockdown, the campaign encourages everyone to be ‘open, like never before’ and to appreciate what was perhaps previously taken for granted, while finding opportunities in this 'new normal' environment.
The campaign, created and developed by 72andSunny Amsterdam, launches following a seven month pause on air, the longest ever for Coca-Cola, which saw the brand redirect resources to support relief efforts around the world. Alongside bottling partners and The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company donated more than $100m globally to organisations to support leading relief efforts.
In Great Britain, as well as donating over 1.5million drinks to those working on the front line, financial support was shared with long-term partner FareShare, the UK’s leading charity food redistributor, to provide the equivalent of nearly two million healthy meals and over 1million drinks to those that need them most. The company also donated advertising space, including the famous Piccadilly Sign to charity partners, Crisis and FareShare, to promote their fundraising messages.
The integrated campaign will include a sustained programme of in-market activities throughout the year and into 2021, with the aim to focus on supporting businesses, with a specific focus on customers, hotels, cafes and restaurants who are the lifeblood of local communities and are now reopening their doors. The campaign will include:
· A fully integrated marketing campaign including a new TVC fronted by George The Poet, and amplified-on TV, VOD, DOOH and OOH
· A hospitality venue support programme – launching in August, hundreds of customers will be provided with resources and expertise to create their own adverts to share on their social media channels. Venues will also crucially be provided media budget and advertising space donated by Coca-Cola to host their advert as a way to communicate that they are once again open for business in their local area
Kris Robbens, Marketing Director for Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland comments: “This year, Coca-Cola was off air for the longest time in history as we redirected our support to relief efforts. The Open Like Never Before campaign is founded on the belief that we don’t just have to go back to normal following this huge change in everyone’s lives. Instead, it’s our ambition to move forward and make the world not just different, but a better, more open place.
“Most importantly, we’re using our platform to support and celebrate our customers and partners, many of whom are reopening their doors to communities after a very challenging time for the industry.”
George The Poet comments on the campaign, “The underlying message of this campaign is close to my heart. During my career I’ve always had to be open to the idea of change – switching from rap to poetry, from music to podcasts – being open gives you an advantage in all aspects of life. COVID-19 gave me a moment to reflect at a time when the world came to a standstill, made me more patient and adapt to different ways of working. Going forward I’m going to do what I can to seize the moment and be open to change like never before”.
