ATLANTA -- The Coca-Cola Co. is "gamifying" the Super Bowl. Through a second-screen experience, fan engagement within digital, social and mobile will drive the outcome of Coca-Cola's Super Bowl broadcast TV commercials in real time.
The company launched a 30-second trailer for the campaign on Jan. 23, across all major TV outlets. The trailer, a call to action for fans to kick off the Coke Chase, encourages them to log on to CokeChase.com to vote for their favorite team and sabotage their fictional foes. The first-of-its-kind campaign follows three factions of characters--a band of Cowboys, a gang of "Badlanders" and a pack of Vegas-style Showgirls--as they chase after an elusive bottle of Coca-Cola.
The campaign's 60-second commercial, entitled "Mirage," will be live online at CokeChase.com until its TV debut on Feb. 3, during the first half of the game. Fans' actions will determine how the storyline plays out, and following the final whistle of the Super Bowl, one of three produced 30-second payoff ads will air to complete the narrative.
"The Big Game is the ultimate platform for showcasing brands' preeminent advertising, but this year we're also using America's biggest stage to kick-off Coca-Cola's marketing efforts for the entire year that will focus on Coke as the ultimate refresher," said Pio Schunker, senior vice president of integrated marketing communications for Coca-Cola North America, Atlanta. "We're raising the bar from last year's Big Game campaign, we're being bolder than ever before, and we're experimenting with even more second-screen innovation."
Real-time updates on the Coke Chase and character engagement will take place on every major form of digital and social media. While the stars of "Mirage" make their big TV debut, they also will spring to life on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and Instagram, giving fans more ways to interact with a Coca-Cola campaign.
Coca-Cola will reveal the winner of the Coke Chase when the Super Bowl whistle blows, based on fan participation throughout the game via a 30-second commercial that completes the journey. Each of the three 30-second spots depicts a different faction capturing the few remaining bottles of Coke available at the remote Oasis Mart. All three will be cued and ready for broadcast while Coca-Cola representatives tabulate fan votes and deduct points for sabotages. As the winning team is determined, Coca-Cola will work with the network to air the spot that earned the most fan support.
After the winning 30-second commercial hits the airwaves, anyone who likes or follows the Coke Chase will be rewarded with additional content, and the first 50,000 people who participated in the Chase and log on to or sign up for MyCokeRewards will receive a coupon for a free bottle of their choice of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke or Coke Zero as a thank you.
"This year's Coca-Cola Big Game campaign represents the way our company is evolving as a marketer," said Stuart Kronauge, general manager of sparkling beverages for Coca-Cola North America. "We're celebrating the liquid and reminding people that Coca-Cola is the ultimate refresher and engaging them in an unprecedented social experience. This fully integrated fan experience transcends simple TV advertising, hands over the power to our fans and creates new connections with retail on America's biggest advertising stage."
Coca-Cola began driving fans to CokeChase.com through a 30-second teaser spot on TV networks 11 days before the Super Bowl. In addition, creative is appearing on the Coca-Cola Digital Network outdoor boards encouraging audiences to log on and vote. At CokeChase.com, visitors will get a first look at the 60-second ad and can begin voting for their favorite faction immediately. Voting will remain open until the final whistle of the Super Bowl.
Once they've cast a vote, visitors can extend the fun by committing an act of "sabotage" against an opposing group. An act of sabotage delays rival teams giving fans an opportunity to truly impact the outcome while engaging in fun content--15 different sabotages depicting a light-hearted scenario, event or detour were filmed, five adversely affecting each faction. Nine will be unlocked for gaming prior to Feb. 3.
Fans can share the fun with their social networks by casting a vote for their favorite group on Twitter by using hashtags supporting the #CokeShowgirls, #CokeCowboys or #CokeBadlanders. Those who cast a vote on game-day by tweeting @CocaCola with their favorite faction's hashtag will receive responses from the team, including a link to the sabotage page on CokeChase.com where they can continue the rally. The company's Facebook, YouTube and Twitter platforms will play a major role in delivering real-time updates on the factions' progress, and additional Chase and character content will appear on Tumblr and Instagram. Across these channels, fans will find themselves in the middle of the action and receive a "behind-the-scenes" look at the characters in their pursuit of the ultimate refreshment on Game Day. The entire digital experience is optimized for desktop, mobile and tablets to provide the best possible experience on any device.
This is the seventh consecutive year Coca-Cola commercials will appear during the Super Bowl broadcast. Coca-Cola worked with Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore., to create and produce "Mirage," its three 30-second alternate endings, all 15 sabotage scenes and the program centerpiece, CokeChase.com.
Coca-Cola is the world's largest beverage company, with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, its portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle.
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