Live from the Arctic: animated Coca-Cola polar bears to star in commercials, interact with fans and react to in-game action, ads and halftime show
Coca-Cola to run three polar bear ads in big game line up
The Coca-Cola polar bears love football. In fact, in addition to starring in three new commercials, they'll be tuned into NBC's broadcast – just like millions of fans around the world and sharing their reactions to all the in-game action, ads and halftime show via a live digital stream at www.CokePolarBowl.com.
For this year's big game, Coca-Cola is launching CokePolarBowl.com, a unique viewing experience for fans that merges a live digital stream and social media with traditional television advertising. While recent estimates predict more than 110 million fans will tune into the big game broadcast, an estimated 60 percent will also be online – with a laptop or desktop computer, a smart phone or tablet device.
The stars of the campaign are two Coca-Cola polar bears who will be watching the game live and sharing a Coke from the comforts of their Arctic ice cave. The live stream will showcase the animated polar bears' reactions to all the plays on the field, the halftime show and highly anticipated commercials. Fans will be able exchange tweets with the polar bear using the hashtag #GameDayPolarBears and share select moments from the live stream with friends via social media.
The animated Coca-Cola polar bears are also the stars in three new Coca-Cola commercials airing during the Super Bowl broadcast titled "Superstition", a :30 airing in first quarter, "Catch", a :60 airing in second quarter and "Argh", a :30 airing during third quarter. The commercials will seamlessly merge the action on the live stream with the television screen and will reflect the action of game in real time. Two versions of "Catch" and "Argh" will be ready to run but only one version will air– depending on what happens in the game and which polar bear is most in need of a Coke. Additional ads will air immediately following the big game during ESPN's "SportsCenter," including "Argh" and a 30-second version of "Catch."
"We're bringing back the Coca-Cola polar bears to engage an enormous audience in a significant and meaningful way," said Pio Schunker, senior vice president of integrated marketing platforms and content, Coca-Cola North America. "By interacting with millions of people through both traditional broadcast advertising and an engaging digital platform, we're offering fans an entirely new and unique game-watching experience."
While the two polar bears are both football fans, they are rooting for opposing teams, adding to the fun of watching their expressions of delight or frustration as the game unfolds. Throughout the live stream a variety of ancillary characters, including penguins and a young polar bear stop by the bears' snow cave to share a Coke and enjoy the festivities. Fun moments in the live stream include the penguins' interpretation of "planking", penguins dancing and polar bears sharing their favorite fan responses from the twitter feed.
During the game, animators will control the bears and their environment using a combination of traditional video gaming controllers and a proprietary PC-based interface. The animators will be stationed in New York City, in a control room located at MLB Advanced Media, which is a leader in the delivery of streaming content.
This is the sixth consecutive year that Coca-Cola commercials will appear during the Super Bowl broadcast. Coca-Cola worked with Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore., to create and produce the CokePolarBowl.com experience and corresponding TV spots. They collaborated with both Framestore in New York and Animal Logic in Sydney, Australia to develop the animations and digital technology.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.
Contacts:
Coca-Cola
Kirsten Witt, 404-676-0314
kiwitt@coca-cola.com
