The new campaign for Coca-Cola Classic brings back some of the brand’s classic icons, including the well-known contour glass bottle.
‘Always Coca-Cola’ is the theme line that replaces ‘You can’t beat the real thing,’ which was introduced in 1989.
The script used for the new theme line brings back the traditional Coca-Cola logo, overshadowed in recent years by the more modern, simple type used in the single-word logo, Coke.
The logo is presented in a way reminiscent of the old corner store signs, printed over a contour bottle in the centre of a round red Coca-Cola bottle cap.
Dave Sanderson, Coca-Cola Canada vice-president of marketing, says consumers have an affection for the contour glass bottle.
The bottles have been successfully tested in Atlantic Canada since last October and should be rolled out to the rest of Canada by the end of the year.
This time they are recyclable, but not returnable.
Sanderson says the real advertising challenge for Coke has been to capture the essence of the brand for every generation.
To do so, Coke has carefully tailored its media strategy to match the message to the audience.
Unlike former campaigns in which Coke has taken a one-sight/one-sound approach, the new campaign features a variety of creative concepts – the constant being the theme line ‘Always Coca-Cola.’
Twenty-six tv spots have been produced, each targeting a different audience and age group.
Four-pillar strategy
Sanderson says the new creative strategy is built on four pillars: ‘Always there,’ because the soft drink is available in more than 180 countries and consumed more than 600 million times a day; ‘Always new,’ because it offers a brief moment of refreshment every time; ‘Always real,’ because of its enduring values of fun, friendship and family, and ‘Always you,’ to make it relevant to every age group.
The new theme line and look will be seen in print and out-of-home advertising, in-store material, and be followed through in the radio campaigns.
The bulk of these will launch later this spring.
Global creative development credits go to McCann-Erickson, New York and Creative Artists Agency, of Los Angeles.
The Canadian execution was handled by McCann-Erickson Advertising, Toronto. PS
