Cannes Lions

Recycle Me

OGILVY, New York / COCA-COLA / 2024

Awards:

1 Grand Prix Cannes Lions
4 Gold Cannes Lions
3 Bronze Cannes Lions
5 Shortlisted Cannes Lions
Case Film
Film
Supporting Images

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Background

Coca-Cola aims to have 100% of their packaging recyclable by 2025 and recycle a bottle or can for each one they sell by 2030. The objective was to use the brand’s famous identity to have the biggest possible impact. The campaign is rolling out globally starting with Latin America and North America, including some of the biggest and most famous OOH placements on Earth, print in several newspapers, social media, and digital video.

Idea

Coca-Cola aims to recycle a bottle or can for each one they sell by 2030. The Coca-Cola logo is recognized by 94% of the world’s population. The objective was to use the brand’s famous identity to telegraph the importance of recycling in the most impactful way. So, we decided to break our very strict brand guidelines and crush Coca-Cola’s iconic logo to inspire people to recycle every single can.

Strategy

Whether you do it on your own to make room in your recycling bin, or it’s done with a press at a recycling plant, every Coca-Cola, bottle or can will be crushed as part of the recycling process. Our key message is the same one that has been on the side of every Coca-Cola product for years: RECYCLE ME. It’s a call to action to encourage recycling on a mass scale.

Execution

The Coca-Cola logo is recognized by 94% of the world’s population, so wanted to use it to have the greatest possible impact. We used a variety of methods to crush the cans, including by hand, a recycling plant press, and even a vacuum. Each logo was extracted and everything unnecessary was removed. We even recycled the RECYCLE ME call-to-action which is taken right off the side of the can. Of course, no two recycled cans are exactly the same, and neither our designs.

Outcome

'Recycle Me’ received over 140 million impressions in just the first week. The work was covered extensively in trade publications as well as mainstream coverage. The campaign is rolling out globally and launched in Latin America at the end of Q4 with results still being collected at time of submission.

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