The holy month of Ramadan is observed by 1.8Bn Muslims across the world. It’s a period when Muslims fast from dusk to dawn, only to break their fast with a meal called Iftar. But in 2023 almost 50% of Muslims didn’t have enough money to afford food. That means they will struggle to break their fast. As a brand that believes in equality, Coca-Cola wanted to create a way to ensure everyone could have access to Iftar, the fast-breaking meal.

Instead of just launching another commercial urging people to help, we turned our label into a common currency that unlocked a proper Iftar meal for someone in need. The mechanic worked across 60 countries to ensure the majority of the Muslim world had access to a meal, and built-off our target market’s buying behavior. The Currency Bottle added new value to the iconic Coca-Cola label. The simple creative idea worked from the shelf-back, establishing itself in prime real estate: our bottles. We also ensured last-mile delivery on the ground with a meal donation program through NGO partnerships.

We extensively studied the Muslim consumer and Ramadan behaviors through primary research and secondary reports to arrive at the winning strategy. Our research showcased that after restraining from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk all Muslims anticipate Iftar, the fast breaking meal. However, this anticipation never ends for millions of Muslims as they can’t afford to buy a proper meal to break their fast. Which was only going to get worse in 2023. And that led to our strategy: to ensure that every Muslim got access to a proper meal at Iftar.

We created millions of new media spaces by redesigning our label as a piece of currency. Its worth? A meal for someone who needs it. Our campaign mirrored the media behavior of the Ramadan consumer. Knowing that social consumption and TV watching increases during the first week of Ramadan, we introduced our currency through a social film that used macro shots to highlight the Currency Bottle's design elements and its CTA: ‘Buy One Give One.’ We used local influencers, OOH and local activations across 60 countries to further amplify the label’s message and tapped into the consumers' giving mindset. We used last mile delivery, partnered with NGOs, and activated Coke Iftar Caravans to ensure every Muslim in need had access to an Iftar meal.

We gave real value to over 100Mn Coca-Cola bottles by redesigning our labels as a real currency. By turning our bottles into a media placement, we were able to spread the word to over 100Mn people, and encourage them to donate a meal. Our ‘Buy One, Give One’ program helped us provide more than 6Mn Iftar meals to the needy and supported more than 1000 farmer families, increasing positive sentiment by 1.7X (vs last year). Through our innovative packaging, distinct tone of voice and simple giving mechanic, we were able to break through Ramadan clutter with over 1Bn media impressions across 60 countries – while ensuring everyone had access to a proper Iftar. Coke was able to raise awareness and impact donations with a campaign that resonated with the target audience.