Coca-Cola and the Olympics: Turning Moments Into Memories

The Challenge: Making a Century-Old Partnership Feel New Again

Coca-Cola has been part of the Olympic story since 1928. The history is iconic, but the challenge for 2020 was to make that legacy feel alive—to turn a familiar relationship into something that could still surprise, engage, and connect. We needed to shift from tradition to participation, using emotion, interaction, and modern tools to deepen the bond between the brand and its fans.

The brief was simple: don’t just show up. Make people feel like part of it.

The Concept: Celebrate the Experience, Not Just the Event

We created “Points for Posts,” a digital platform where fans could earn rewards by sharing personal content tied to the Olympics and Coca-Cola. It wasn’t about likes or hashtags. It was about stories. Photos at watch parties, Coke in hand, flags in the background—these became the new currency. The more they shared, the more they unlocked.

The interaction didn’t end online. Users could redeem points at Coca-Cola kiosks, where they received limited-edition merchandise and explored immersive VR experiences tied to the Games. It was an easy loop: participate, share, connect, collect.

Creative Direction: Old Icons, New Energy

Visually, the campaign reached into the archives and pulled out the best of Coca-Cola’s Olympic past. We revived illustrations from the 1920s and 30s, updating them with fresh layouts, modern type, and a sharper red. The result was a visual system that felt both timeless and current, with global rollout across print, digital, and out-of-home.

The mix of nostalgia and new media gave the campaign emotional weight and broad reach. Each asset served a purpose—reminding people that Coca-Cola wasn’t just sponsoring the Olympics. It had always been there.

The Experience: Real Fans, Real Rewards

By tying real-world interaction to digital sharing, the campaign turned fans into participants. The more people engaged, the more the story spread. VR activations pulled them into Olympic moments. Branded kiosks delivered tangible rewards. The emotional payoff wasn’t in watching the Games, but in feeling part of them.

The Impact: A Legacy That Keeps Evolving

We reintroduced Coca-Cola as more than a legacy partner. It became a host. A connector. A brand that still had something new to say within one of the world’s oldest brand relationships. The result was visibility, participation, and content that felt personal, not promotional.

Building on a Century Without Repeating It

The campaign was crafted to honor a legacy without feeling stuck in it. While the past provided a strong foundation, the focus stayed on participation, emotion, and personal connection. I helped shape the process from concept to execution, working closely with the team to merge heritage visuals with interactive touchpoints across digital and physical spaces. The result didn’t rely on nostalgia alone. It gave fans something of their own to contribute, making the story feel new again.