The Campaign

Our campaign was developed on the creative idea to leverage Coca-Cola’s most iconic asset, the red vending machine, in transforming a popular youth hangout spot into a promotional retail area. Although Coca-Cola does not have its own retail outlets, the red vending machine has become its representative retail asset over time, with strong consumer perception worldwide. In order to maximize promotional effect, we built a giant vending machine to be the biggest OOH structure in the area. Also, we planned out the space so that visitors would be immersed in the PCO ambience as soon as they stepped into our giant vending machine. As visitors progressed through the floors and engaged in the fun, interactive contents we provided, they were able to experience ‘Coca-Cola Moments,’ through which they would realize that ice-cold Coca-Cola can bring pleasure to your life in the simplest ways, being delicious even in the winter.

The Brief

Overall budget: USD 1,520,000 (excluded paid media budget) Breakdown of costs: - Venue rental: USD 179,000 - Venue construction (interior & exterior / space design, visualization, etc): USD 625,000 - Contents production: USD 270,000 - Operation: USD 446,000

Creative Execution

Coca-Cola’s giant vending machine was open during PCO (2018.02.01-02.26) at Hongdae, a popular hangout spot for Korean youths. In efforts to provide a one-and-only brand experience, each floor was meticulously planned. - 0F: video tunnel and Coca-Cola heritage zone, igniting expectations for PCO - 1F: well-decorated photo zones, reflecting the refreshment available at POP - 2F: mini-Olympic games - 3F: Perfect Serve Bar for ice-cold Coca-Cola (based on FGD finding that Coca-Cola tastes best after sweating from exercising) - 4F: customized bottles with name/photo as memoirs - To top it off, special events were held for special days (e.g. Valentine’s Day). Further, our partnership with 1300K (MD shop) and restaurants allowed people to experience brand assets to a new extent, playing a pivotal role in offering an integrated brand experience. With influencers/celebrities enhancing media/social coverage and visitors sharing their experiences as well, the place quickly went viral.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

Sales: In comparison to the previous year, - Overall sales increased by 10%. Due to our One Brand Strategy, Coke Zero experienced the most dramatic increase in sales, by over 60%. - Nearby convenience stores reported that they had to order 4-5 times more than they usually do, as average sales increased by 5,000% (10?500 cans per day). Site Traffic: Despite the entrance policy that required purchase proof of a Coke product, there were 36,063 visitors, far exceeding the original goal of 26,000. Impressions/Response Rate: Our campaign successfully yielded 29K in social media postings and 2.2M in social engagement, far exceeding original goals. Consumer Behavior: In comparison to the previous year, - The number of people who enjoy Coke once a week increased by 3.2% - The number of people who enjoy Coke at least 4 times a week increased by 4.9%.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

Although the PyeongChang Winter Olympics 2018 (PCO) was the biggest national event to be held in Korea, many were unable to attend due to the time and cost required. So, we brought PCO to Seoul instead. We transformed a building into Coca-Cola’s giant vending machine by leveraging Coca-Cola’s most iconic asset, the red vending machine. Inside, visitors could experience the PCO ambience and ‘Coca-Cola Moments,’ through which they would realize that an ice-cold Coca-Cola is enjoyable even in the winter. Our various partnerships furthered this integrated brand experience, offering brand assets to a whole new extent.

Our target audience was Korean youths – young students and workers, ages 16-29 – who tend to always be under pressure from excessive competition, long working hours, or uncertainty about the future. Many say they feel lonely, tired, and disconnected in their everyday lives, making them seek exciting experiences and spend time with their peers whenever possible. Regarding PCO specifically, FGD revealed that although over 70% wanted to attend, the time and cost required deterred them from doing so. With more than one-fifth of Koreans living in Seoul (far from PyeongChang), we wanted to create a positive retail experience that would motivate PCO participation despite inconveniences. As such, we decided to fill the giant vending machine with PCO-themed ‘Coca-Cola Moments,’ bringing the PCO ambience to Seoul while proving that Coca-Cola is delicious even in the winter. With valuable, shareable contents that attracted more visitors by day, the space went viral.