Coca-Cola and Marvel have partnered up to create the ultimate collectible experience and the next piece of blockbuster entertainment for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This iconic collaboration set out to push the boundaries of creative storytelling to new heights and in the process set a new bar for the modern comic. The decision was also one of business opportunity and an appreciation for Marvel fan culture.

The Marvel fanbase is enormous — 1.3 billion people worldwide and 132 million in the U.S. identify as Marvel fans. Of those, 30% drink Coca-Cola weekly and 58% drink a soft drink at least once a month. Encouraging this audience to drink one more Coke per week has a Hulk-size incremental impact on Coke’s sales volume.

To earn their consumption, Coca-Cola and the agency needed to entertain them with all-new, must-have Marvel content.

Coca-Cola opened their canvass to unleash Marvel stories and fandoms in ways never experienced by creating 32 different collectible Coca-Cola cans, each featuring its own Marvel hero or villain. We made packaging the gateway into an interactive AR experience focused on immersive fan engagement. On its face, a simple interaction: Scan the packaging to reveal a Marvel character that emerges, interacting with the user.

The real magic happens when two cans come together. Scanning specific can combinations unlocks AR sequences that include never-before-seen storylines, surprise reveals, and Easter eggs for fans. These surprise reveals also included digital collectibles, and chances to win prizes, like an ultimate Marvel fan experience at one of the nation’s largest comic and pop culture conventions, or the chance to join Marvel superheroes and villains aboard a Disney cruise. Fans can download unlocked characters to save their collection to replay the experience while they keep hunting.

Modern audiences, especially Marvel fans, crave immersive experiences beyond passive one-way consumption. We also knew Marvel’s widespread popularity fuels a collector culture that drives demand for Marvel-related collectibles and special edition merchandise. Collecting items represent key moments in Marvel’s history showcasing the evolution of its characters over time. Fans especially crave crossover merchandise that see their favorite characters team up or face off against each other.

To resonate with this hyper-engaged fanbase, we knew that:

-We had to push beyond typical tie-in promotional giveaways or using Marvel characters as advertising “heroes for hire.”

-Only real Marvel value in this partnership would get fans buzzing and collecting.

-Fans’ expectation to participate in content is as great as their desire to consume it.

We sought to design an engaging collectible experience so vast and irresistible that Marvel fans would repeatedly purchase Coca-Cola cans to scan, unlock and experience for themselves.

Through collaborative workshops, we brought the illustrations into real life with stop motion animation using action figures to blend modern storytelling with collectibility across 32 bespoke illustrations and digital experience of some of the world’s most beloved heroes and villains. We meticulously defined an illustration style that would capture the essence of these iconic characters. Marvel provided reference poses to inspire our initial sketches. An iterative process followed, with the sketches passing back and forth to ensure every detail was faithful — adjusting a foot's position here, refining an arm's angle there.

Based on stories we created together for each character, we sketched out every narrative moment and interaction, obsessing over getting them just right. We then collaborated with 3D sculptors and animators, bringing these iconic figures to vivid life while fanatically ensuring every minute detail was faithful to their essence - just like our Marvel fan audience would.

Bridging these two universes unlocked a dimension of storytelling through commerce never seen at retail. As cans make their way onto shelves, just three weeks into the campaign the results speak for themselves:

Globally:

- 321 PR placements

- 1.95 billion impressions

- 1.7 million digital hub views (beating benchmark by 1.2x)

- 24.4 billion earned social reach

- 5.29 million earned social impressions

North America & Japan:

- #1 Selling Merchandising Display (SSD Campaign) in over 3 years

- Consumers return every 2.5 days to play to win prizes

- 1.46M projected on-pack annual scans

- 4x more weekly engagement per person (Coca-Cola Company Campaign Benchmark)

- 3+ average minutes per session

- 2 million page views

- 71% increase in dot-com sessions

We elevated retailtainment with Marvel value that not only drives initial transactions but creates a repeat purchase cycle as characters roll out.