During the COVID lockdown in WUHAN, Coca-Cola launched a brand initiative with the objective to unite the nation to support and bring positivity to the city. We made a statement of love that everybody would understand that couldn’t get lost in the media clutter enveloping the city.

The Love Cans shifted the attitude of Wuhaners in the short-term, and strengthened the brand’s image across the nation for the long-term. By spreading positivity, Coke’s brand love scores increased by +11%, and sales for our cans increased by +30% (vs. previous year), directly helping our bottlers get back on their feet.

The cans tapped into Coca-Cola’s iconicity and brand purpose of spreading positivity and optimism, marrying iconic elements of China’s landmarks to form the heart, and creating a symbol of love and unity that showed Wuhan the nation stands with them and behind them.

The campaign targeted Wuhan citizens, at a time when confusion and fear cluttered the media. The Love Cans were launched exclusively in Wuhan on a symbolic moment: April 7th – the day that the nation emerged from 76 days of lockdown.

The Launch (April 7 to Ongoing)

Coca-Cola launched 4 special Love Cans exclusively in the city of Wuhan. The cans were launched in convenience stores and supermarkets across the city, supported by shopper media.

Using Authentic Voices to Drive Further Support (Apr 8)

The Love Cans were also the main feature of Coca-Cola’s owned social engagement on WeChat and Weibo, bringing the idea to life in digital.

Authentic voices from Wuhan were also engaged to drive further support across the nation for Wuhan. So, in collaboration with local Wuhan celebrities Zhu Yi Long and VanceYMJ, Coca-Cola amplified the message, encouraging the nation to share their own messages of support for Wuhan.

Commemorating the reopening of Wuhan on a national level (April 13)

Due to the instant popularity of the Love Cans, Coca-Cola released a limited-edition premium box so that people across the nation could buy Wuhan a Coke.

The campaign that was originally launched exclusively in the city of Wuhan generated a total of 70 million + impressions, 800,000 + social engagements (defined as all interactions across social media platforms – weibo, wechat) and 33,000 social buzz (defined as user generated conversations across social media platforms).

With zero media investment, the Love Cans campaign helped the brand’s local bottling partners recover from the lockdown crisis, delivering incremental revenue of +31% compared to the previous year, directly helping the bottlers get back on their feet.

What’s more, Coca-Cola’s brand love nationwide also rose by 11%.