Imagine the usual formal product launch party.
The usual minute cocktail tables are covered in satin and tulle. Men and women mingling, garbed in their most sophisticated, enjoy small talk and their favorite drinks. Chill out music fills the air. Suddenly, out of nowhere, 30 men clad in all-black suits barge in. They hurriedly lead the guests into coasters for a short ride to a nearby helipad dubbed Ground Zero. A helicopter appears out of nowhere, flying towards them. The chopper hovers above them. Jaws drop and eyes pop out as a gigantic Coke 0 bottle is dramatically dropped…
< width="200" height="134" align="left" src=" coke_zero_launch. " alt="" />That’s the scene that Leo Burnett conjured up to introduce Coca-Cola’s latest Manila offering: the very edgy-looking, edgy-sounding Coke Zero. And as if the dramatics were not enough, the revelers then experienced a hot, sizzling Brazilian capoeira performance as the men in black swayed to a fusion beat of Latin and rock. David Lyons, CEO of Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines; and Kandy Anand, president of Coca-Cola’s Philippine business unit, gamely donned black trench coats, and formally introduced the product.
Equally exhilarating were the pop-punk and indie tunes of Chicosci and Up Dharma Down. VJ Sib of MTV was the apt host of this non-conformist activation effort.
True enough, the Coke Zero launch is as refreshing as the drink. It changed the way people look at product launches.
“Nearly 100 percent of the pitch idea has been implemented. It’s the first time that an activation effort of this scale has been implemented in all of the Philippines. And we are more than ecstatic that Coca-Cola Philippines has given their Integrated Marketing Communications Agency the lead in this history-making effort,” proudly shares Cathy Nicolay, Leo Burnett Manila’s AVP for Account Management.
The ebony scheme was cascaded into merchandising materials. Designed by Leo Burnett, these were only revealed to the public on launch day. Screensavers for Coke employees, tie-ups with preferred accounts, web campaign and exclusive ts to top 100 CEOs of the Philippines, and large-scale sampling completed the below-the-line launch efforts for a total out-of-the-box Coke Zero experience.
