Share a virtual Coke for charity
January 29th, 2010 (8:34am) Alisha Paul
Coca Cola Company is tying a recent social media charity promotion to the beverage giants upcoming Super Bowl ads. The program will be a first of its kind and an experiment in capitalizing on major TV events.
Earlier this week during a press event at the Dunlevy Milbank Boys & Girls Club in Harlem, Coca Cola announced plans to donate up to $500,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of America with half of the money coming through a Facebook application.
Coke fans can now virtually gift a bottle of Coke to their friends online and Coca Cola will donate $1 for each one. As an incentive for Facebook fans to send gifts the company is treating them to a 20 second sneak-peek of one of the brand’s Super Bowl spots. Those who send the virtual bottles will also receive access to the full 60 second ad at noon the day of the big game.
“It’s exciting to see when you let go of the brand and let other people play with it what can happen,” she said. “It’s doing good on the way to doing great advertising. And that’s a great place to be,” said Katie Bayne, chief marketing officer at Coca Cola North America.
The company has plans for two 60 second spots during this year’s Super Bowl, both of which use the “Open Happiness” theme. Soft drink brand Pepsi, which pulled its Super Bowl spots this year have rolled out similar messaging with its focus on the Refresh Everything Project.
“[Benefiting worthy organizations] has been a part of our company for 120 years, and it will never stop being a part of our company,” said Bayne. “We’re thrilled Pepsi is in the game. We think being responsible in the communities we do business in is important.”
