2015 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

Coca-Cola had the world’s lowest market share in Lebanon, an embarrassingly low 3%. People clearly didn’t identify with the brand. Our task was to introduce the Coke brand back into Lebanon using the global ‘Share a Coke’ campaign. But we needed a twist, something fresh to win over the hearts of the locals.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We wanted to give happiness a name, so we decided to drop our names on the cans and give our audience a chance to replace it with their own. We created an insightful film that people could identify with, highlighting sharing aspects of their daily life. We engaged with social influencers using our cans and used the opportunity as a promotional tool, winning their trust and prompting them to share their unique can with the hashtag #ShareACokeSawa (Share a Coke Together) on their social networks. This allowed us to unite those who shared their loved for our campaign.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

and earned exposure on shows including Hayda Hakeh and MTV. We received 1.8 million impressions on YouTube and 206 million via our #ShareACokeSawa hashtag on Twitter. Twitter activity skyrocketed by 125%. Our Facebook fanbase increased by 49%. On Instagram, without having an official Coke presence on the platform, over 1,250 people flooded the platforms with photos of themselves and their friends sharing happiness. We created 35,000 unique cans within three weeks. It’s been Coca-Cola’s most successful campaign in the Middle East. Ever.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

Despite the ‘Share a Coke’ being a global platform, we created the Share a Coke Lebanon made for the Lebanese, by the Lebanese. Since the people are sharing, we wanted to prove to them that, despite being a global brand, we have a lot in common. We too shared the culture of sharing and wanted to be a part of the sharing society in Lebanon.