We merged both virtual and real world in order to create Coca-Cola’s first ever in-game advertising spot for use on external marketing platforms.

Inside the FIFA 18 videogame, players were able to see how Alex Hunter signed contract with Coca-Cola (becoming Coca-Cola's first ever virtual ambassador)and watched him on set shooting a TV commercial for the brand. The ad spot shot inside the game was shared on social channels and displayed on marquee out of home sites including the recently installed Coca-Cola Times Square sign, the world’s first 3D robotic sign.

The campaign came to life on 29 September 2017, the date when FIFA 18 was globally released with a premiere on Coca-Cola Times Square sign, the world’s first 3D robotic sign.

As sort of pre-premiere, a sneak peek was introduced on FIFA 18’s game trailer, showing Alex receive a folder with Coca-Cola Zero Sugar logo on it and days before the release Alex Hunter’s Twitter account posted a picture of the studio where he filmed the TV Spot. The campaign continued on and off-line exploiting various channels and medias such as newsletters, PR activation, social content and limited-edition cans at retail stores.

By beginning of 2018, 59,6% of players reached the chapter where Alex shoots the spot (FIFA has 100 million players around the world on the last 6 months). Only on the first week of retail sales, 6 million copies were sold. Only in Times Square +4.5 million people were able to watch the spot on the first 2 weeks.

The partnering with EA Sports provided us:

37% ADDITIONAL REACH OVER INSTAGRAM,

123% ADDITIONAL REACH OVER SNAPCHAT,

211% ADDITIONAL REACH OVER SPOTIFY,

12% ADDITIONAL REACH OVER YOUTUBE,

209% ADDITIONAL REACH OVER TWITCH,

37% ADDITIONAL REACH OVER INSTAGRAM,

Gaming is the fastest growing form of entertainment in the past few years, so in order to recruit our new generation of drinkers we partnered with EA Sports and used the world's undisputed #1 sports video game (100 million players in the past 6 months) as platform to launch the new Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.

We took advantage of the fast growing of gaming as entertainment, and of our partnership with the the most popular franchise sports game in the world to turn FIFA’s football star and popular gaming hero Alex Hunter into our first virtual ambassador ever. Not just a product or brand placement but being part of the narrative to help markets leverage the passion for gaming to recruit Coca-Cola’s next generation of drinkers.

For over a century Coca-Cola has connected with people through their passion, and now the people they care about, care about gaming; the fastest grow of entertainment nowadays. Coca-Cola has also sponsored FIFA gaming in the past through integrating ads in banners, but we needed to create product centric stories to generate awareness and influence consumer consumption. Recruiting the next generation of Coca-Cola drinkers via one of their biggest passions: gaming.