Coca-Cola takes low sugar battle to rival Pepsi with launch of Coke Life marketing crusade
Coca-Cola South Pacific is gearing up for a TV-led marketing push of Coke Life as it looks to take the naturally sweetened battle to rival Pepsi.
The multi-million Coke Life push will begin in early April with the firm hoping it will turn around its fortunes after a poor 2014 which saw total soft drink sales decline two per cent and net profit plunge 25 per cent.
It is the first new Coca-Cola product since Coke Zero was launched in 2006.
The campaign, created by Ogilvy & Mather, will contain the tagline ‘Let Life Surprise You’ and will run throughout April and May.
The TVC will air from April 9.
The campaign will target 30 to 49-year-olds and unlike Coca Cola’s Colour Your Summer campaign – which was largely social – the crusade will be led by TV and feature cinema, out of home, print, digital, PR and sampling.
The company said the aim will be to “intrigue, educate and engage consumers”.
Coca-Cola South Pacific marketing director Lisa Winn said the development of Life is only the fourth drink to be launched in Coca Cola’s 128 year history, and follows “consumer demand to shake up the category”.
Among the executions will OOH displays at high profile locations including Kings Cross in Sydney, and a takeover of Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station while tailored messaging will invite commuters to “come along for the ride” and “take a detour”.
“We’re extremely excited to be offering Coca Cola Like in Australia, a great addition to the Coca-Cola family,” Winn said. “We’re confident that the new formulation is what consumers have been looking for. We’ve achieved the best possible taste of Coca-Cola, but with 35% reduced sugar and kilojoules.
“Coke Life isn’t simply a new product from Coca-Cola – it’s another great choice for people who want a delicious Coca-Cola to fit their lifestyle. There is a Coca-Cola option for everyone.”
The stevia-sweetened drink was first launched in Argentina in June 2013 amid growing demand from a more health-conscious public for less artificially-sugared products. But sales failed to reach expectations, according to the Australian Financial Review.
The recipe has since been tweaked with management now confident drinkers will be unable to detect the difference between Life and full-sugar Coke.
Coca-Cola South Pacific has plenty of ground to make up in the low sugar market in Australia with Pepsi having launching Next in early 2012.
Last year Pepsi returned to its taste challenge which pitted Next against Coke. The campaign featured a Pepsi Next van travelling across Australia, inviting drinkers to take the test, with the ad concluding with the tagline “Does naturally less sugar Pepsi Next taste better than full sugar Coke? Let your taste decide”.
Credits:
Creative: Ogilvy & Mather
Strategy & Media: UM
Consumer PR: Adhesive PR
Trade PR: Pulse
Experiential & Sampling: Maverick
POS: Passport
Steve Jones
The olive green reminds me of the plain packaging used for cigarettes.
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A quick glance at the packaging looks like the Saudi Arabia National Flag.
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Coke should keep some of its trademark red within the labelling as Pepsi did when they released Pepsi True, coincidentally another green labelled soft drink?
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I tried the stevia sweetened Pepsi Next and found it tastes terrible, so I won’t bother tasting Coke Life.
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Doesnt Stevia give you cancer?
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When Stevia comes into contact with a label or logo it turns it green.
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Green-washing?
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so only 20 grams of sugar instead of the usual 32.
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I think the whole thing is a huge mistake, trying to find a market for a reduced sugar just highlights the amount of sugar in the new and flagship product.. I’ve seen some press quoting down to only ten teaspoons of sugar per bottle.. WTF..
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Instead of a huge shitload of sugar there is just a shitload. That will really help with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Well done Coke, your social conscience is showing.
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Soylent Green.
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Just got to love the euphemism of “low sugar”, when it has in fact ten standard teaspoons of it in every bottle. LOL
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So I guess Red == Coca Cola Death?
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The yucky green reminds me of the outside of a packet of capstan green cigarettes those old enough to remember. Smoking and sugar are going to get you every time.
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