Will consumers choose to accept Coke Zero’s Mission: Possible?
Coke Zero is supporting the release of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol with a far-reaching, multi layered campaign across the Americas and EMEA.
Activity, which includes TV, in-cinema, outdoor, radio, instore POS and social media, as well as an on-pack promotion on 100m bottles, has kicked off unusually early for an entertainment partnership.
Entertainment collaborations of this nature normally start 2-3 weeks prior to theatrical release but the fourth installment of the franchise doesn’t release in cinemas until December.
Bringing the campaign forward gives it standout prior to a holiday season that’s traditionally cluttered with marketing messages. Going this early also gives Coke Zero real ownership of the film, allowing it to leverage the excitement and anticipation surrounding the release.
According to Chip York, worldwide entertainment marketing director for the Coca-Cola Co., who was interviewed by Variety, Coke Zero is partnering ‘with the franchise not necessarily with the actor’, focusing instead on Dubai and the Burj Khalifa, which feature prominently in the film. This move, he says, gives them flexibility to extend the partnership with future M:I films, even if Cruise isn’t involved. We’d also suggest it’s because Cruise is not known for lending his image to third party brand promotions. Besides, the franchise is big enough for Coke to activate the campaign successfully without Cruise’s face plastered over bottles, POS and billboards.
As well as enjoying a shared male target audience, Zero and M:I are good bed partners because the brand essence (‘masculine, confident, bold’) reflects those of Ethan Hunt. The icing on the cake comes from Zero’s current brand messaging - ‘Make It Possible’ – which provides a natural creative hook for activating the film partnership.
A social mobile game has also been developed to drive consumers to cinemas and stores, offering prize incentives including pre-screenings, premiere tickets and, of course, Coke Zero.
Apparently Coke Zero also gets to feature in the film, and while its visibility will ultimately depend on the director’s cut, we anticipate it will clearly visible.
It’ll be interesting to see what prizes will be offered that bring to life ‘Make It Possible’; hopefully there will be money-can’t-buy, once-in-a-lifetime activity experiences and holidays to add to the other, more generic, prizes being offered.