First Coke of the Year

Chinese New Year is the biggest and most important annual event in China. It is also a key sales period for Coco-Cola, as friends, family and work colleagues gather together for countless parties and celebrations.

2008 had been a turbulent year for China, as the country suffered the devastating effects of snowstorms and earthquakes, followed by the glamour and excitement as the country took centre stage for the Olympics.  Sensing that the events of the year had caused young Chinese consumers to reassess their attitudes to community and compassion, Coca-Cola decided to help them connect with the Chinese New Year celebrations with a new ritual to symbolise the spirit of sharing.

The act of sharing “the first Coke of the year” was chosen as a symbolic way of passing on hope and optimism for the coming year. Different Chinese celebrities were shown giving their “first Coke of the year” to their friends and loved-ones on the biggest New Year’s Eve TV show. Celebrities included Olympic athlete Liu Xiang, shown giving his first-Coke to his father. The first coke ritual was promoted on TV spots billboards and online.

The Chinese youth market were encouraged to dedicate their first-Cokes, and send first-coke-of-the-year wishes to their friends via social networking and augmented reality SMS applications, and through the Coke portal – iCoke. At point of sale, Coca-Cola bottles were adorned with message tags around the neck, allowing consumers to write personal dedications before giving the bottle away.

The first-Coke phenomenon increased sales by 13%, and saw the online channel iCoke receive 72m page views. More than 5m first-Coke stories were shared, and more than 16m Coke eCards were sent. As well as heavy adoption by consumers, the campaign proved so successful in generating media exposure that Coca-Cola will extend First Coke of the Year 2010 in China to include Hong Kong and Taiwan.