Coca-Cola Draws in Curious Crowds with Playable Billboards

This month Coca-Cola has unveiled a series of creative executions around the world which have been designed and tested to redefine the role of DOOH/OOH for the brand, its presence on the streets and the experiences it generates. 

Rooted in the brand’s ‘Real Magic’ philosophy, Coca-Cola is creatively inviting everyone to connect with their billboards. 

“Engaging with a digitally absorbed gen z audience on the streets is increasingly challenging, the onus is on us/brands to continually innovate and create an unmissable presence.” Islam ElDessouky, global vice president creative strategy and content at Coca-Cola. “Our latest executions were focused on ‘value exchange’. OOH is an accessible traditional medium and it’s for everyone, just like Coca-Cola but what are people really experiencing from our brand when its on the streets?” 

Coca-Cola OOH case studies developed by WPP Open X showcasing latest creative executions briefed to develop memorable accessible experiences and instant emotional connections. 

The Playable Billboard

Launched in the iconic Times Square, NY, Coca-Cola unveiled ‘The Playable Billboard’; an interactive digital experience enticing passers by to literally game on the huge OOH screen. 

The creative was born from common gaming behaviours, of gamers often playing alone in real life. ‘The Playable Billboard’ was designed to create an entertaining moment for all to experience and connect with others. 

Inspired by retro sports video games, featuring two-dimensional graphics, Coca-Cola bottles replace bats to hit a ball back and forth and are controlled by two players competing to be the first to win with 10 points. Coca-Cola taps into nostalgia on a monumental scale infused with a modern twist through the use of cutting-edge technology to generate a significant memorable experience for players, passers by and viewers. 

Hope Nardini, global executive creative director at Grey comments, “Coca-Cola is an iconic brand and Times Square is an iconic place. Turning the Coca-Cola billboard into a digital game for all to play in the centre of the city is a fun way to bring people together, and an expression of the brand’s philosophy of Real Magic.”

‘The Playable Billboard’ was developed by WPP Open X, led by Grey, supported by Subvrsive and Ogilvy PR. 

Magic Catch

Launched across Europe, ‘Magic Catch’ billboards are attracting curious crowds and bringing people together with the challenge to literally catch the iconic Coca-Cola bottle.

A two dimensional play on perspective, the Coca-Cola bottle spins, twists and turns across the billboard as everyone is instructed to ‘catch it’, post it #catchthecoke to win a free bottle.

The ‘catch’ is an illusion inspired by worldwide humorous and entertaining photo moments as people ‘hold’ up famous landmarks.

Creative directors at Ogilvy Paris Thibault Michal and Yann-Gaël Cobigo comment, "We're so excited to bring the ‘Magic Catch’ billboard to life with Coca-Cola. The idea is based on a universal cultural behaviour and breaks the boundaries that exist between physical, digital and social touchpoints. As it becomes increasingly difficult to grab the attention of gen z, it's great to have found a way to stand out in the visual jungles that our cities have become. With the ‘Magic Catch’ we want to make people stop, look up and have fun for a few minutes with our interactive billboard."

‘Magic Catch’ was developed by WPP Open X, led by Ogilvy Paris and supported by Subvrsive.