ABOUT THE WORK
“Thanks for Coke-Creating” celebrates the spontaneous rebranding of Coca-Cola’s iconic visual identity. It showcases reinterpretations of the Spencerian logo, color palette, contour bottle, and wave found in bodegas worldwide. Hundreds of versions were embraced, validated through ads, customized cans, and a new design approach applied to various touchpoints from vending machines to trucks.
By embracing grassroots creativity, Coca-Cola quickly gained consumer understanding through unexpected visual craftsmanship, ultimately enhancing their iconic brand perception. This project emerged in response to the widespread presence of unofficial Coca-Cola logo interpretations found in bodegas, mini markets, and mom-and-pop shops globally. In many markets, such as Australia, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico, these unofficial versions hold significant cultural relevance, reflecting local communities’ creativity and connection to the brand. Collaborating with these shops and celebrating their artworks was a strategic move to honor their contribution to Coca-Cola’s cultural landscape, resonating with diverse audiences while amplifying the brand’s cultural relevance. Rather than regulating these unofficial versions of Coca-Cola’s branding, Coca-Cola chose to embrace them, highlighting them in official communications as “Coke-Creations.”
By validating and showcasing hundreds of these interpretations, Coca-Cola acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of shop owners and painters. This approach emphasized diversity, inclusion, and community, echoing Coca-Cola’s core values. Coca-Cola searched for local shops worldwide, partnering with them to validate and showcase hundreds of Coke-Creations through outdoor, print, and social ads. They locally advertised to home audiences and globally showcased the creativity of small businesses. Newly designed Coca-Cola cans featuring informal logos were delivered to their original creators.
This initiative led to a redesign of the brand’s touchpoints, from fridges to vending machines, and resulted in a clothing collection. Additionally, nearly 30 Coke-Creations were archived in a book, recognizing the unexpected designers. “Thanks for Coke-Creating” had a significant impact, garnering interest from top publications globally. It reached 3.78 billion people and increased positive brand sentiment by 95%, exceeding Coca-Cola’s social average by 34%. Interviews with participants revealed that the project inspired shop owners to continue their creative expressions and fostered a sense of pride and ownership within their communities.
IDIDTHAT MEMBER CREDITS
Advertising Agency: VML (Johannesburg) – In collaboration with VML: New York, Kansas City & Sao Paulo; VML Commerce, Mexico City.
Stills & Film Production Company: Neto & Shookan
*If your company collaborated on this project and you’re not featured, please contact studio@ididthat.co and we’ll help you become a member.
