It could be said that good ideas are timeless and that what changes is the way to execute them. It is the thought that may have guided Coca-cola and Pepsi, They have chosen to recover initiatives that launched decades ago, in completely different economic and cultural contexts, with the intention of connecting with current consumers.

Coca-Cola returns with “Share to Coke”

Coca-cola He has revived “Share A Coke” (Share a Coca-Cola), campaign activated for the first time in Australia in 2011 and became a marketing icon when moving to 70 different markets. He invited to convert the bottles and cans of Coca-Cola into personalized memories when replacing the logo with names of people, seeking to connect emotionally with consumers.

The company now bets again on the idea trying to capitalize the desire of the gene generation of establishing authentic connections Beyond the digital ecosystem. He will continue to encourage the public to find names in the refreshment cans, although he turns the strategy betting on both online and face -to -face experiences. Thus, consumers from 120 countries will find from April cans and bottles of Coca-Cola with names in the lines of the stores.

In addition, the campaign will also bet on personalization through the Coca-Cola mobile application and QR codes In the containers. These will offer access to the “Share to Coke” digital center, where cans and bottles can be customized with additional names. It will also provide access to “Share to Coke Memory Maker”, an interactive digital experience to create personalized videos with the content of the users themselves, stickers and memes to share with friends.

The campaign communicates with the piece “The Magic of Share”, which exploits nostalgia using the theme of the late 2000s “Sweet Device”, by Temper Trap. It also includes collaborations with influencers, external advertising graphs and packages “Share A Meal” in McDonald’s restaurants from selected countries. All communication will focus on inviting to enjoy and take advantage Spontaneous moments of laughter, stories and fun.

“The iconic ‘Share A Coke’ has returned with great impulse worldwide, celebrating the pure magic that arises when people connect”, Said Islam Eldessouky, global vice president of Coca-Cola, in a statement.“We incorporate new channels and experiences to this campaign to help people strengthen their friendships through everyday moments of real life ”.

The company seeks to connect with the youngest public, whose consumption habits and preferences seem slowly move away from traditional soft drinks. As interest in health and well -being increases, part of this segment has chosen to reduce the consumption of sugary or energy drinks and are increasingly committed to the so -called functional drinks.

The return of Pepsi’s challenge

For its part, Pepsi He has recovered “The Pepsi Challenge”, An initiative that launched fifty years ago and with which he proposed a blind tasting on tour in the United States. He encouraged consumers to try between Pepsi and his main rival, Coca-Cola, and guess which of the two soft drinks were drinking.

Now the brand revives the challenge to connect with a new generationn. As of March 27, the initiative begins its tour, which will run until October, providing more than one million users with the opportunity to participate.
On this occasion, the action gives prominence to Pepsi Zero Sugar and will try to strengthen the link with both those users of the generations that participated or saw the television challenge and the new generations.

One of the main adaptations for this occasion is the identity update, which has adapted to the renewal it carried out in 2023, instead of betting on the yellow he used in the 70s. The design and innovation team has updated the image to create a retro aesthetic, but at the same time give a contemporary touch.

“We create something that recovers the fun and energy of the original campaign and invites people of all generations to connect with the brand”Said Trey Veal, senior design manager of Pepsi, according to Little Black Book. “We are excited to see how the image comes to life both digital and physically on this year’s tour”

The action could already be seen in New Orleans, during the celebration of the Super Bowl and will officially start its journey now, passing through New York, Los Angeles, Dallas or Tampa. Those who participate in the challenge, even those who do not choose Pepsi, will receive Free product.
The company is applying a layer of Digital strategy to the initiative with the generation of content for social networks and platforms.

In addition, for those who do not have the opportunity to approach any of the activations of the tour, the brand has created A kit for blind tasting at home, The box recreates the experience that could be lived live and imitates the mystery proposed with a packaging that hides the image of the cans. However, these kits will only be accessible by raffle through the Pepsi website.