Coca-Cola spreads happiness around the dining table

After celebrating ‘Open Happiness’ through ‘Cricket ki khushi’ campaign, Coca-Cola has unveiled an integrated communication campaign, ‘Coca-Cola and Meals’ based on the theme, ‘Saath khao, khushiyaan badhao’.

Today’s fast paced life and the pressures of modern living have superseded the desire to bond over mealtimes. Gone are the days when the entire family ate together around the dining table and shared joyful and mischievous moments. With the advent of mobile phones, TV and internet, bonding over mealtimes has lost its meaning. Through this campaign, Coca-Cola aims to revive the lost moments of sharing and togetherness around mealtimes and celebrates happiness around the dining table.

The TVC, has been scripted by Prasoon Joshi and his creative team at McCann Erickson Delhi, and directed by Ram Madhvani of Equinox films. The music score is by Bollywood composer, Shantanu Moitra. The television commercial (TVC) shows several families eating at the dining table and enjoying conversations with a glass of Coke. The campaign ends with a voiceover, saying ‘Saath khao, khushiyaan badhao’.

Speaking about the campaign, Anupama Ahluwalia, Vice President – Marketing, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia said, “Today’s fast lives are stealing away what could be moments of bonding and togetherness; through the ‘Coca-Cola and Meals campaign’ we are urging consumers to bring togetherness to the meal occasion which seems to be fast disappearing due to modern day pressures.”

Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman and CEO, McCann Worldgroup India and President – South Asia said, “Coke and food has a great association and the brand has always taken platforms that spread happiness and eating together is one value system. People these days are busy, either they don't come to the dining table and have meals together or they are distracted due to their phones. But we feel that there are a lot of values attached to eating together. We thought of propagating the role of coke in spreading happiness by eating together, which means spending time with family and loved ones. Our audience understands and they will feel a certain sense of emotional connection with the message and as a result it will reflect on our brand values, sales and equity.”

This ad marks the return of McCann Erickson. However, Joshi said, “We were always there with Coca Cola. For certain reasons, we did not do a couple of communications but we have a long standing relationship with the brand.”

Marketing mix
The integrated communication program will be leveraged through social media, radio platforms and on-ground initiatives.  Coca-Cola India has tied up with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor for on-ground activations across key markets. Sanjeev Kapoor will invite recipes from consumers and nine winners will get to be a part of a TV show with Sanjeev Kapoor.

In addition, there will be various promotions on the modern trade channels, which will involve Kapoor and his chefs engage in a live cook-off in three cities. Coca-Cola will also roll out a campus programme, based on the premise ‘Happiness strikes where you’d least expect it’. This activation will involve mom’s paying a surprise visit to certain campuses and cooking for the students.

Coca-Cola will also capture the fun and togetherness moments experienced by consumers, at restaurants by introducing a ‘Happiness camera’ that will click photos of them sharing a meal with their family and loved ones, encouraging consumers to eat together and increase happiness. These on-ground initiatives will be supported and complemented by a digital campaign.

Speaking about his association with Coca-Cola, Sanjeev Kapoor said, “I have always associated mealtime with happiness. It's a time for the family to come together and share the stories of the day. There is a lightness and energy that has always existed at mealtimes, which unfortunately seems to have been forgotten these days. The pressure of our daily lives makes us miss out on the simple joy of bonding with our family members during mealtimes and listening to their anecdotes. I am extremely happy to partner with Coca-Cola for this wonderful campaign and hope to do my bit to get people together to enjoy the magical moments during meals.”

Experts speak
Rachanah Roy, National Creative Director, Concept Communication said, “From a creative point of view, it is a very usage-specific commercial. The central idea seems to be ‘get coke on the dining table’. The commercial progresses on an even pace.”

She added, “They have done brilliant work on the same brand before. This does not come close. The family-oriented approach seems to be to promote usage – that and only that. The jingle seems forced.”

On the use of a celebrity, she pointed out that it would have probably diluted the ‘every family loves coke at dinner’ approach.

“It’s a fantastic insight that coke brings the family together because people lately don’t sit at the dining table to have dinner or lunch. Somebody is busy watching TV, someone is busy on the internet, and someone is busy on the phone, so that family occasion is the perfect excuse to come together. Having said that, the creative rendition does not do justice to the insight. Open happiness is a great proposition and the execution could have been far better,” said Vipul Thakkar, Executive Creative Director, DDB Mudra South.

“Coke is talking to everybody in the family unlike, say Pepsi, which talks to the individuals. It is about happiness and happiness is about family. However, they could have taken it further by saying that friends are your extended families,” he added.

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