2017 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

Rooted in this unspoken truth, our idea flourished when Coca-Cola decided to highlight a worrying observation. How were Egyptians wearing other countries’ jerseys and not their own? As silly as it seemed, as indicative as it was to so much more. Egyptians not wearing their national jerseys was a sign of apathy and disloyalty. We needed to wake Egyptians up. It was time to start wearing our jerseys again. Our message was simple, if you’re really Egyptian, you won’t wear another jersey, give us any other jersey you have, and we’ll replace it with an Egyptian one. Be it authentic or fake, any jersey could be replaced with Coca-Cola. The initiative would be a win win for all, as our consumers got their new jerseys and the collected old ones would be recycled into duvets for the homeless to use in rural areas in the Delta region.

Creative Execution

Our campaign began with a docu-drama launched on social media that called for change. Highlighting our key insight and calling Egyptians out with the message, “If you’re really an Egyptian, you won’t wear another jersey!” Featuring key football stakeholders like renowned coaches, older star players from previous generations, popular commentators, our entire cast were authorities on Egyptian football. Coming together to request one simple jersey change. Complimenting the online launch, our campaign moved aggressively on ground as we set up redemption centers across the country whereby people could exchange their jerseys. Coke trucks circulated major cities also providing other opportunities for exchanging jerseys. Our idea traveled in store as well, as we produced limited edition double sleeve bottles wearing foreign jerseys. When opened, the jersey would peel off revealing the Egyptian one, further pushing the communication, and pushing the people to exchange their jerseys.

The campaign successfully distributed over 100,000 Coca-Cola Egypt jerseys and in result produced 1,000 duvets for the homeless this winter. Online, the campaign reached 40 million users and was shared by over 20 different online publications for free. Influencers, celebrities and opinion leaders all over the country shared the campaign and participated by using our hashtag to show off their own new Coke jerseys that they had exchanged in support of the initiative. Prime time TV shows featured our campaign and interviewed Coke’s Brand Manager live to help promote the initiative, achieving over $50,000 in earned media.

This campaign was launched online as a docu-drama set out to shed light on an interesting insight about Egypt and its favorite passion, football. Because Coca-Cola’s message to the Egyptian fan was one that could shock, disturb and maybe hurt, the message couldn’t be said through a typical ad. For this reason, we resorted to creating content, featuring some of Egypt’s leading football talent, to discuss this uncomfortable insight in a format people could take time to grasp. The format allowed for dialogue, conversation, opinions, as if Egypt was talking. Coca-Cola’s role was to simply offer a solution.

With competition being the main sponsor of the event and most of its star players, Coca-Cola needed to work on what it owned, The Egyptian Fan. For Coca Cola, the brand that supported the Egyptian football fan for the last decade, this state of apathy was a crisis! Coke felt it had a responsibility towards its consumers. And with all brands across the country communicating the event, we decided to stray away from the field, from the game and get closer to the emotion and the stifled pride in Egyptians. Our campaign wasn’t about football, it was about being proudly Egyptian.