Coca-Cola is one of the most loved brands in the world. But in the Philippines, its corporate reputation does not quite enjoy the same stature.Competitors with lower price points and strong local flavor painted the image of Coca-Cola as a company that didn’t really connect with the masses. Beyond its global credentials and great-tasting product, the Coca-Cola Company needed to endear itself to Filipinos.

Key to shifting public perception was empathy and action. Beyond just 'saying', Coca-Cola needed to demonstrate how it understood what was most important and would give greatest happiness to Filipinos.For the Filipino, there is nothing more important than family. Yet, some 11m of them are forced into the ultimate irony of leaving their loved ones, so as to provide a better life for them. For these Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the greatest happiness was the promise of a reunion. What if Coca-Cola could bring these families together for Christmas?For 3 families, it was the gift of reunion. For the rest of the Philippines, it was the gift of inspiration – real stories uploaded onto YouTube on December 1st.

No Filipino was spared from the impact of The OFW Project, hitting 1m views in 3 days, and becoming the world’s most shared video for 2 weeks. The video touched a cultural nerve, with immediate improvement registering on corporate image metrics. More importantly, the project connected Coca-Cola with the masses, who now saw the company as one that understands what happiness means to Filipinos.

The happiest season of the year had become the loneliest for OFWs and their families. What if Coca-Cola could bring them home for Christmas?After months of research and careful logistics spanning continents, this idea culminated in 3 impeccably-timed homecomings. We documented the emotional journey home of 3 OFWS to their unknowing families. The unexpectedness of it brought out a torrent of emotions at their rawest. The chasm created by many years of separation instantly disappeared, and for that moment they were what Filipino families were meant to be: blissful in having nothing else but each other.

For 3 families, it was the gift of reunion. For the rest of the Philippines, it was the gift of inspiration – 3 real stories uploaded on YouTube on December 1st. To amplify the genuineness of the stories, we took to the digital medium—what people considered true “reality TV”.

No Filipino was spared from the impact of the OFW Project, hitting 1m views within 3 days, and becoming the world’s most shared video for 2 weeks straight.But beyond the statistics, Coca-Cola had touched a cultural nerve;its success registering on corporate image metrics.

• “I a responsible member of the community” +4 pts• “Committed to the well-being of its consumers” +4ptsFrom an indifferent big brother, the Coca-Cola Company reconnected with the Filipinos at a cultural level through a simple act that demonstrated a genuine understanding of what true happiness meant to the people.