The Campaign

Coca-Cola is one of the most loved brands in the world. But in the Philippines, its corporate reputation does not quite enjoy the same stature. Competitors with lower price points and strong local flavor painted the image of Coca-Cola as a company that didn’t really connect with the masses. Beyond its global credentials and great-tasting product, the Coca-Cola Company needed to endear itself to Filipinos. Key to shifting public perception was empathy and action. Beyond just “saying”, Coca-Cola needed to demonstrate how it understood what was most important and would give greatest happiness to Filipinos. For the Filipino, there is nothing more important than family. Yet, some 11million of them are forced into the ultimate irony of leaving their loved ones, so as to provide a better life for them. For these Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the greatest happiness was the promise of a reunion. What if Coca-Cola could bring these families together for Christmas? For 3 families, it was the gift of reunion. For the rest of the Philippines, it was the gift of inspiration – real stories uploaded on youtube on December 1st. No Filipino was spared from the impact of The OFW Project, hitting 1 million views in 3days, and becoming the world’s most shared video for 2weeks. The video touched a cultural nerve, with immediate improvement registering on corporate image metrics. More importantly, the project connected Coca-Cola with the masses, who now saw the company as one that understands what happiness means to Filipinos.

The Brief

The Coca-Cola Company needed to change the people’s perception of a big, uncaring entity—an opinion that has wedged a gap between Filipino masses and the company. The communication needed to uplift the company’s reputation scores as it relates to the community and the consumers’ well-being. To achieve this, we went on a national deep-dive across demographic segments to identify the brand and company’s strengths that will be the fulcrum of the perceptual shift. At the same time, it was to feel the cultural pulse—what was it that they wanted most that would give them greatest happiness?

Results

No Filipino was spared from the impact of the OFW Project, hitting 1 million views within 3 days, and becoming the world’s most shared video for 2 weeks straight. But beyond the statistics, Coca-Cola had touched a cultural nerve, its success registering on corporate image metrics. • “is a responsible member of the community” +4 pts • “Committed to the well-being of its consumers” +4pts

Execution

The happiest season of the year had become the loneliest for OFWs and their families. What if the Coca-Cola Company could bring these families together for Christmas? For 3 families, it was the gift of reunion. For the rest of the Philippines, it was the gift of inspiration – 3 real stories uploaded on youtube on December 1st. We documented the emotional homecoming journey of 3 OFWS to their unknowing families, culminating in the moment of bittersweet reunion. The unexpectedness of it brought out a torrent of emotions at their rawest. The chasm created by many years of separation instantly disappeared, and for that moment they were what Filipino families were meant to be: blissful in having nothing else but each other. To amplify the genuineness of the stories, we took to the digital medium—what people considered true “reality TV” .

The Situation

Coca-Cola is one of the most loved brands in the world. But in the Philippines, its corporate reputation does not quite enjoy the same stature. Low-cost competitors claiming to be the “people’s choice” repositioned Coca-Cola as an arrogant top-dog. It was easy for consumers to see the most expensive softdrink in the market as an uncaring brand that only knew how to take from them. This brand perception became the defining face of the Coca-Cola Company. Beyond its global credentials and great-tasting product, the Coca-Cola Company needed a way to erase this perception and re-endear itself to the Filipinos.

The Strategy

Key to positively shifting the public’s perception of Coca-Cola as an indifferent entity was empathy and action. Beyond just “saying”, we needed to demonstrate how an established brand understood what was most important and would give greatest happiness to them. For the Filipino, there is nothing more important than family togetherness. Yet, some 11 million of them are forced in the ultimate irony of having to leave home and work abroad so they can provide a better life for their families. For these Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the greatest happiness was the promise of a reunion. This was an aspiration that Coca-Cola was poised to champion as it was the one brand whose heritage among Filipinos has always been family bonding. The strategy: a small act that will shine a light of hope to those far away from their families during the Christmas season.