Coca-Cola is in the 88th year of its special partnership with the Olympic Games, and this year in Rio the company will build a campaign around those special moments off the podium with the global #ThatsGold campaign. We spoke to Melissa Palacios, Associate Brand Manager, Coca-Cola Brand Team, Adult Consumer Segments about the details of the campaign, and how the Coca-Cola marketing team is hoping that the campaign will appeal to Hispanic and multicultural audiences.
#ThatsGold Brings the World to Rio
This global television commercial and out-of-home campaign will feature famous gold moments from previous Olympic Games and the faces of some of the most famous athletes from around the world.
Events like the Olympic Games tend to enjoy popularity among Hispanic communities that love gathering their families together. “Also, more than other ethnic groups, Hispanics are particularly interested in the potential underdog stories, those stories of hard work and success. For us in Coca-Cola, positivity and inclusiveness are at the heart of the campaign,” Palacios said.
This year, the Olympic torch was carried by 12,000 people, visiting 320 cities, covering 20,000km on land and over 16,000km by air. Nearly 2,000 Coca-Cola torchbearers were chosen to bring the flame through every corner of Brazil, selected for the work they had done in their communities, for embracing positivity and for the gold spirit with which they bring people together.
Moments On and Off of the Podium
The #ThatsGold campaign will be social in nature, featuring a series of three video vignettes, produced in partnership with NBC, that focus on some of the happiest and most triumphant moments enjoyed by athletes like women’s soccer star Alex Morgan, swimmer Nathan Adrian and former gymnast Nastia Liukin both on and off the podium.
Limited-edition Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero packaging have been available nationwide since mid-July, and the campaign is complemented by productions like the Coca-Cola Olympic Station, a hang-out area for teens in Rio where they can experience and engage with the Olympic Games through innovative tech activities, with the participation of athletes, music artists and influencers, and a selection of global influencers that will share what the #ThatsGold campaign means to them.
“A Personalized, Social Approach”
In terms of Hispanic broadcasting, both NBC and Telemundo are featuring #ThatsGold throughout the Games. Digitally #ThatsGold will be threaded throughout the NBC Olympics website featuring live updates from Rio. All this, will be supported by OOH, Cinema, and Retail activation.
The idea is to bring the excitement of extraordinary achievements that the Olympics ignite into everyday life. “Gold is a feeling that anyone can achieve, and by using social media as a platform for fans to share their gold moments, we are personalizing a global social approach,” Palacios said.
DOWNLOAD Portada’s 2016 Sports Marketing Guide!
Multicultural audiences fit seamlessly with these themes, because no matter who we are, “even though we all live different lives, our human experience is similar,” adds Palacios. People from all corners of the world, from all different religious creeds, ethnicity, sexual orientation enjoy the Olympics with the same appreciation for the achievements – big and small – that push us forward as individuals, families, and communities. The Olympic Games have a universal, multicultural appeal, and the #ThatsGold campaign hopes to connect with it.
At #Portada16 on Sept. 14-15 in New York City Javier Delgado Granados, Group Director of Multicultural at Coca-Cola, will speak about how Coca-Cola uses soccer and other sports to reach millennials.
[ctahfb]
