Coke Bottles to Sport College and Pro Football Logos This Fall

Share a Coke With Your Favorite Team

Share a Coke, Share a Moment

One of the most successful campaigns in Coca‑Cola history is shifting seasons in 2019 to tap into one of America’s deepest passions: football.

That’s right: Share a Coke is hitting the gridiron this fall by featuring nearly 60 college and professional football team logos on 20-oz. bottles of Coca‑Cola and Coke Zero Sugar.Football-related nicknames like “Squad,” “#1 Fan,” “Pro” and “Legend” also will appear on a variety of packages like 7.5-oz. mini cans, 12-oz. cans, 1.25-liter, 1.75-liter and 2-liter bottles of Coca‑Cola and Coke Zero Sugar. The campaign runs from Aug. 5 through Oct. 20, or while supplies last.

“We’re excited to give consumers the opportunity to share some team spirit when they Share a Coke this football season,” said Oana Vlad, director, Coca‑Cola Trademark. “We hope to unite friends, fans and even rivals through the power of Share a Coke.”

Names Sticking Around

But not to worry: Mascots are not replacing monikers. More than 950 of the most popular first and last namesin the U.S. will once again appear on select packages of Coke and Coke Zero Sugar. Fans also can visitCokeStore.comto purchase team logo or personalized 8-oz. glass bottles ofCoca‑Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero.

For the last five summers, Share a Coke has become a seasonal pastime –along with baseball games, backyard barbecues and family reunions –as Americans seek out bottles with their names or the names of friends and loved ones. And every year since 2014, the brand team has introduced new innovations and surprise-and-delight experiences to keep fans coming back –from adding more brands and names on more packages (including tie-ins with passion points like NCAA March Madness and the FIFA World Cup), to launching an e-Commerce site (ShareaCoke.com) where fans can order custom glass bottles, to introducing a first-ever sticker label, to finding fun ways to weave music into the campaign.

Share a Coke college football bottles debuted on Cokestore.com in 2017 based on a successful March Madness promotion earlier that year.

“Throughout our Share a Coke journey, we’ve constantly challenged ourselves to evolve and offer new ways to engage and connect fans,” Vlad said. “As we continue to reinvent what the Share a Coke experience can be, we’re leaning into whatour fans love most. While the campaign has been a summer rite of passage, it’s not a seasonal concept –it’s a powerful, evergreen idea about sharing special moments over an ice-cold Coke. And when you consider that football is both one of America’s biggest passion points and top times of year for enjoying a Coke, the decision to bring Share a Coke to life through the lens of football was a natural one.”

Celebrating Partnerships

Share a Coke will play a prominent role in the brand’s longstanding partnership with ESPN College GameDay. Weekly GameDay broadcasts will feature authentic Share a Coke moments, shareworthy content and fun experiences to delight fans at home, online or in the stadium. For example, 50 passionate fans at each GameDay host site will behand-picked to get the VIP treatment –and stay cool and refreshed with an unlimited supply of ice-cold Coke.

Fans also can unlock local football-themed experiences to share with friends or family by scanning the Sip and Scan™ icon on Coca‑Cola packaging and limited-edition fountain cups at participating McDonald’s restaurants.

'As we continue to reinvent what the Share a Coke experience can be, we’re leaning into what our fans love most. While the campaign has been a summer rite of passage, it’s not a seasonal concept – it’s a powerful, evergreen idea about sharing special moments over an ice-cold Coke. And when you consider that football is both one of America’s biggest passion points and top times of year for enjoying a Coke, the decision to bring Share a Coke to life through the lens of football was a natural one.'

Localized Strategies

This year’s Share a Coke campaign also is the most localizedyet. Packaging with college and pro logos will appear prominently in their home markets. Customizedout-of-home, digital and radio creative will target hometown fans, too, supporting a national TV commercial debuting at the start of football season. The lighthearted campaign will celebrate the highs and lows of rooting on your favorite teams throughout the football season.

Pulling off such a regionalized program required several supply chain innovations –including developing custom labels with codes identifying correct team logos in each market before producing and shipping the product.

“Shifting from anational to a hyper-local approach is incredibly complicated and could only happen with the partnership of our bottlers,” Vlad added. “Last summer we made the decision, together as a system, that Share a Coke would be our biggest push for 2019. Collectively, we believe in the power of our football assets at the local level.”

Share a Coke was first introduced in Australia in 2011. Since then, the company has helped people Share a Coke –and special moments of togetherness –in more than 100 countries worldwide.