Coke and 007: A Match Made in Storytelling Heaven!

A new installment in the very lucrative James Bond movie franchise is always a big event. And ever since product placement and brand marketing have become synonym with Hollywood blockbusters, various brands understand the potential value in being associated with the launch of a highly anticipated movie such as Skyfall, the new 007 movie hitting the big screens in coming days around the world. In true movie marketing fashion, trailers became available many weeks ago, but brands such as Heineken took this tradition one step further with a whole series of ads featuring characters from the upcoming movie. The announcement that Adele was singing the theme song from the soundtrack was posted on her Facebook page, but the song was leaked to various radio stations around the world with the song skyrocketing up the charts in its first week debut. Yet the ultimate stunt came via the folks at Coke Zero.

WHEN A VIDEO STUNT GOES VIRAL

A few days ago, in a busy European train station, Coke decided to pull a stunt associated with the essence of the Bond tradition: thrill-seeking, time-bound, packed with unexpected twists and a feel-good ending. Inside a regular soda vending machine was a message to enter a contest where participants could win exclusive tickets for the premiere of Skyfall: after typing your name, you were told you had 70 seconds to make it to platform 6 in order to participate in the contest. Simple enough, right? Not really…

Check out the above video to understand the level of details the stunt organizers went though to make it truly Bond-like in order to be deemed worthy of winning the movie tickets! In less than four days, this video has gone viral and been seen by over 2.5 million viewers (as of October 21).

A GREAT EXAMPLE IN STORYTELLING AND BRAND ALIGNMENT

Coca Cola is without a doubt one of the best examples of a brand using storytelling and content marketing to communicate its core values and what it represents across paid, owned and shared media. With its more than 50 million Facebook fans, its hugely successful iCoke rewards program and other social platforms where it interacts with a growing base of loyal fans and occasional customers, Coca Cola has been shifting its focus to more and more owned and shared media, thus investing less in traditional paid advertisement. It maintains its continued sponsorship of major events such as the soccer World Cup or the Olympics, and association with high-profile movie releases such as the upcoming James Bond, but there is usually a common thread in its event activation: staying true to the brand’s ongoing marketing message “Open Happiness“. Click here for details of the campaign

Happiness to us is anything that can bring a smile to someone’s face. We’re in the business of spreading smiles and opening happiness every day all across the world. We know we might not change the world over night, but if we can add just a few smiles to the world then we’ve done our job. (taken from Coca-Cola Happiness web site)

Knowing this is the brand’s core message, a stunt like the one shown above is perfectly aligned. It’s also greatly aligned with core aspects of what one would expect from an upcoming James Bond movie: a time-limit (70 seconds), numerous interruptions including the red-dressed female bombshell, and a final twist having participants sing out loud in order to access the coveted prize.

WHAT MAKES GREAT STORYTELLING?

Great storytelling usually takes place when we meet one or many of the following conditions:

• Quality content spread across multiple platforms, both offline and online;
• Maintaining a recognizable and strong brand image across all platforms. Authenticity is of utmost importance;
• Content that resonates with people, mixing emotional with rational components. Roller coaster rides are always a good bet;
• Adding value. Readers and viewers will usually ask: what’s in it for me? In this video, for example, participants seek to get tickets for the movie premiere, while we, as viewers, seek the entertainment provided by the stunt itself.

A time-sensitive, thrill-packed, sassy and funny adventure… sounds like a 007 scenario to me! And it’s the kind of stunt that indeed spreads happiness, as per Coke’s core message intends to do! This is why this recent Coke Zero video represents an excellent example in storytelling but also a good fit with the 007 brand positioning.

Read more:

• Now Do Wear to the Left, 007: The Case for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang