Coca-Cola Canada has launched its holiday season marketing blitz with ‘Christmas Caravan III’, the third in a series of spots featuring an armada of lighted Coca-Cola trucks bearing the image of the jolly old man himself.
The spot was created by W.B. Doner of Southfield, Mich., an agency used by u.s.-based Coca-Cola Company for special projects and holiday advertising, including the first two Caravan commercials.
While ‘Christmas Caravan III’ is a global production for Coca-Cola, it features a Canadian cast, crew and location. The small town of Cloverdale, b.c. was transformed into a winter wonderland for two days in early September through the use of pulverized ice chips, biodegradable foam and blankets of fake snow.
The storyline starts with a young boy who, upon hearing the approach of the Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan, alerts the town by ringing the steeple bell of the local church.
A cheering crowd gathers and, as the trucks roll through town, the street progressively becomes illuminated by holiday lights.
The young bell ringer manages to get to the main street just as the trucks roll away. Disappointed, he turns to walk away when, magically, a bottle of Coca-Cola is thrown to him by Santa, who is shown toasting him from the back of the final departing truck.
In support of the advertising, Coca-Cola will be lighting up towns in Ontario by bringing a caravan of specially decorated trucks to major retailers through to Dec. 22.
