Coca-Cola honoured those whose birthdays often go forgotten by friends and family as they fall over the festive season with one final creative stunt as part of its ‘The World Needs More Santas’ campaign.
The activation, which was produced in collaboration with WPP Open X and led by AKQA with support from Ogilvy PR, centres on the story of a local resident of Cascais, Portugal when Coca-Cola took over the town to throw an unforgettable birthday celebration.
Under the direction of Pedro Varela, the winner of a Portuguese Golden Globe, the film was made using more than 15 hidden cameras to capture the reaction of the resident.
The campaign also invited the world to participate by tuning into the live broadcast on its social channels and encouraged people to share their happy birthday wishes on socials using the hashtag #MerryBirthday.
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It is the final iteration of ‘The World Needs More Santas’ campaign from the brand, which also featured a ‘Find Your Inner Santa’ quiz, two Christmas short films and an AI Christmas card generator.
“If your birthday falls during the holiday season, it might feel like the whole world has forgotten about it. Your friends are busy, your presents get mixed up with the Christmas gifts under the tree, and your birthday cake might take on the sweet disguise of a yule log with candles,” said Coca-Cola global head of creative strategy and content Islam El Dessouky.
“Among all the Christmas noise, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the unsung birthdays of the season.
“Our ‘Merry Birthday’ campaign is a fun playful activation that embodies the ethos of the ‘The World Needs More Santas’ with an act of generosity and kindness encouraging the spirit of Santa in all.”
