The latest Share a Coke campaign from leading beverage company, Coca-Cola is not only offering Nigerians an opportunity to open happiness when they drink a bottle of Coke, but a chance to share unending happiness with friends, families and even strangers. This is following the excitement which welcomed the Share a Coke campaign last year, which saw the swapping out of some of Coke’s iconic logos for the personalisation of PET packs and cans into popular Nigerian names. For the campaign this year, emoticons and fun phrases have been added to the personalisation.
“Share a feeling” which is the tag for this year’s campaign includes popular Nigerian phrases in English, and other Nigerian languages like Efik, Igbo, Edo, Hausa and Yoruba. The campaign which is fast becoming popular among consumers around the country is helping Nigerians to invent a new way to tell their stories to friends, families, as well as create instant acquaintances that may lead to stronger relationships.
Many claim that the campaign’s resonance with pop culture also makes it endearing to many young people. This is chiefly because, in recent time, emoticons have become very popular among young people. It is the new language which offers them an opportunity to say more than they mean.
Speaking on this year’s Share a Coke campaign, Patricia Jemibewon, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola explained that, “We have been creating moments of happiness for Nigerians for over 60 years, inspiring happiness and optimism, in fleeting, personal or at national times. This year’s campaign has been warmly received, and we continue to receive good responses from people, telling us they love the phrases and the designs, that it has given them a new way to share messages with friends and families.”
Jemibewon added that, “This year, we decided to give our consumers an even unique way to tell families, and friends something special, which is why we have doubled the personalised names from last year’s Share a Coke campaign. There are over a thousand names and a hundred smileys to choose from.”
Corroborating the Marketing Director, Gbolahan Sanni who is the Senior Brand Manager, Colas at Coca-Cola noted that, “Our audience speaks in smileys as well as fun phrases these days, and since it has become a kind of second language for our younger consumers, we felt this was a great opportunity to connect on a deeper level with our most important demographic.”
One of the consumers, Bisola who expressed her disappointment at not finding her name in the last campaign, said she was glad that she had fallen in love with a fun phrase. “Maybe, I did not look well enough. This year, I have already told friends and family to look out for my name. But I am glad that I already have a Coke that says, “Aje Butter.”
So, for those whining about not finding their names on Coke bottles last year, keep cool. With over 1, 200 names, which is 50 per cent more than last year’s Share a Coke campaign, 119 cool phrases that speak to just about anything you can think of, and real fun smileys which bring the popular online emoticons to the real world, Coca-Cola is ready to help its consumers tell their own stories. So, a customer named Albert who is known for strategizing and achieving can post a photo of his personalised can and a fun phrase, Albert+Setting-P on Instagram.
With phrases like, sexy, hot, bae, on fleek, hug me, love you, XOXO, I’m yours, my girl, my guy, soulmate, my boo, my #1, what’s up, turn up, YOLO, smile, etc., it is certain that, many would not be sharing their feelings with just words anymore.
The Share a Feeling campaign was launched in December, last year to usher in the New Year. It has the popular rapper and comedian Falz in ‘Sharing a feeling’ with the everyday Nigerian, by delivering personalised Coke bottles with names and smileys to them. Consumers organising events like birthdays, or weddings, who may need large quantities can also place orders of personalised Coke.
Last year, ADVAN awarded the campaign the most indigenous marketing campaign for the year 2015 and the new campaign this year may just win more awards.
