Coca-Cola kicks off with 2014 FIFA World Cup marketing

"The FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil is not just an event; it's an opportunity to have meaningful engagement with consumers - football fans and their friends and families. Inclusivity and togetherness is the theme at the heart of the campaign. We've brought the elements of Brazil, football and Coca-Cola together to create something global and universally inclusive," says Sharon Keith, marketing director at Coca-Cola South Africa.

Trophy tour

Starting in September last year, Coca-Cola took the FIFA World Cup Trophy on a 9-month journey spanning 90 countries and more than 150,000 kms that ended in May 2014. It was the largest and longest trophy tour and the first pan-Latin America tour, with events in 39 countries across the region that is home to the host nation. The tour also visited 51 new countries that have never had the opportunity to host the trophy.

"In March 2014, its Facebook page reached the significant milestone of million fans, illustrating how fans across the globe are already participating in the campaign."

The Anthem

The Coca-Cola anthem, 'The World is Ours', is performed by David Correy featuring the sounds from Monobloco - a Brazilian street band. It reflects the core values of game and the inclusive power of football as a force for social good. The song was inspired by the passion the world has for football, combined with rhythms and beats taken from renowned Brazilian music genres including samba, baile funk and technobrega.

To take the concept and make it global, at the same time that the trophy travelled the world, the company brought the music of Brazil to the world, and the world to Brazil, through the creation of local duet versions by countries around the globe. Thus far, sixteen duet versions of the David Correy anthem have been created featuring artists from China to Mexico and Indonesia to South Africa - with the local version been recreated by the Drakensberg Boys Choir.

Happiness Flag

Most recently, the company introduced the 'Happiness Flag'- a Photomosaic flag made up of hundreds of thousands of fan images submitted from across the globe to create one of the largest flag mosaics. The images will be arranged into a design created in collaboration with Brazilian artist Speto.

The physical flag will measure 67m x 45m and will be unveiled on the pitch ahead of the opening match. Over 65,000 fans at the Arena de Sao Paulo and an estimated global audience of over two billion people will see the Happiness Flag, showing the world the power of football to bring people from different backgrounds and beliefs together.

Adopt a Nation

Over the next few weeks, the company will be sharing the World Cup magic with South Africans by launching its Adopt a Nation promotion. This encourages South Africans to adopt a nation for the duration of the 2014 FIFA World Cup by sharing which of the 32 competing teams they will be supporting.

The company has launched a competition offering nearly a million prizes, including R6 million in airtime vouchers, 50,000 unique Adidas branded shirts, especially designed for each participating nation and a grand prize of eight double tickets to the World Cup in Brazil. For more information, go to www.coca-cola.com.