Activating at Brighton Pride in August 2023, Coke challenged us to give its target audience an “Only Coke Can Do” experience, focusing on the passion point of music. Designed to generate word-of-mouth and trigger festivalgoers to share their unique Coke moments and memories with friends, in person and online.
The target was to reach as many consumers as possible, providing a platform for Coke to stand out at such a prestigious event crowded with brand activities and performances.
Our challenge was to:
1. Offer an “only Coke can do” experience to improve brand sentiment and engage as many Pride attendees as possible.
2. Create the perfect platform to make the highest social impact online, reaching 500,000 people.
3. Push streaming reach for the featured Breakthrough artists.
4. Surpass last year’s sampling target of 20,800 serves.
5. Educate attendees on the brand’s sustainability efforts.
We needed to create an experience that aligned with their brand beliefs and values to engage the Pride audience. 78% of queer people want to support companies that support them, so we needed a platform that championed community members while tying Coca-Cola and music together.
With 45% of people under 34 saying they’re more likely to do repeat business with an LGBTQIA+-friendly company, highlighting the Coke Breakthrough Artists initiative was vital. We devised a platform to allow these LGBT artists to access the mass crowds at Pride on a level they probably couldn’t alone, live streaming performances to reach an even larger audience online.
To appeal to the Pride audience and stand out above other brands, we needed an eye-catching, disruptive experience that offered unique opportunities to push dwell time and encourage word-of-mouth and social sharing.
Our journey started on the parade route, where we engaged the 500,000-strong crowd with the dazzling Coca-Cola double-decker Pride float that stole the show! With its curved edges, rainbow waves, disco ball dancefloor and gorgeous drag queens, we promoted the “Love Is Love” message loud and clear.
Pride attendees followed the float as it wound through Brighton’s busy streets, ending in Preston Park, where the charity fundraising event “We are Fabuloso” hosted the incredible Coke Studio Stage.
To deliver an experience that commanded attention during the busy Pride weekend, N2O’s in-house Creative team designed the experience as a space full of musical discovery, eye-catching photo opportunities and different zones for people to play and express themselves through music. Not even the torrential rain could dampen the buzz!
Leaving no detail unturned, from the towering Coke bottle announcing the brand’s presence to the rainbow soundwaves rippling across the stand, they ensured that the experience would captivate the audience, with enough zones to appeal to the broader Pride audience, boosting dwell time.
The Campaign Management and Logistics teams brought the vision to life, ensuring a seamless build and on-the-day experience, allowing festivalgoers to immerse themselves in the world of Coca-Cola and music.
Our exclusive backstage-style hangout treated Brighton Pride attendees like one of the band, allowing them to capture moments like a true VIP. The experience celebrated how music helps people to feel more connected to each other.
Atmospheric DJ sets filled the airwaves as people sat back and relaxed with friends while sipping on chilled cans of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
The deluxe Dressing Room VVIP lounge offered unique opportunities to hang out with talented artists Ileo, Keanan, JoJo and Callum Crighton. These Breakthrough Artists were selected from a countrywide competition hosted by Coke and Gay Times to discover emerging LGBTQIA+ performers, supporting the community and providing a platform for them to engage with a large-scale audience.
Hand-picked influencers were invited to boost the experience’s online presence so we could reach an even larger audience at home and in person. Creators shot content, interacting with our cast of talented drag queens who strutted their stuff across the Coke Studio Stage, posing for pictures with attendees.
Guests could pose for epic snapshots in the kaleidoscopic photo op, encouraging social sharing with the hashtag #turnupyoursummer. They could play the digital mixing deck game to win limited-edition Coca-Cola merch, including personalised graffiti t-shirts created for them onsite. Festivalgoers received “perfect serve” samples of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar to induce product trials and purchases. Interactive can crushing stations, supported by the onsite team, conveyed Coca-Cola’s sustainability efforts, encouraging consumers to recycle their used drinks cans.
