To celebrate ‘International friendship Day 2022’, Coca-Cola released a new collectible set of unique Coca-Cola NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to add to their inaugural collection, delighting fans once again.
Adding NFT sparkle for brand-loyal consumers
As a way of rewarding those existing Coca-Cola fans who had already joined the company’s forward-thinking adoption of all things related to Metaverse-influenced iteration, Pratik Thakar, Head of Global Creative Strategy said that:
“International Friendship Day—which launched our metaverse journey in 2021—is the perfect milestone opportunity to thank and celebrate the people who have joined us”.
The latest Coca-Cola NFT release, featuring designs inspired by the unmistakable fizz in a Coca-Cola bottle, launched on the Polygon blockchain using the Ethereum scaling solution. The NFTs were airdropped for free to the digital wallets of existing holders.
The NFTs feature themes of friendship and unity in keeping with the company’s commitment to supporting various causes and community groups, including its support of Pride Month which saw the release of 136 unique collectible NFTs created by South African designer and LBGTQIA+ campaigner, Rick Minsi.
The company have also made clear its commitment to equality in the workplace and announced in a recent statement that:
‘The Coca-Cola Company is committed to championing diversity, equity and inclusion through its workplace culture, community partnerships, charitable giving, and policy advocacy.’
It is apparent that they intend to use their brand’s iconic assets’ continued commitment to blockchain and metaverse technology to celebrate elements of all of the above.
Fizzing Forward to A Virtual World
For one of the world’s most recognisable brands to be embracing the early stages of the metaverse is surely a testament to the huge potential of this rapidly expanding space. With a current brand value of over $40 billion, one might think that they would be happy to play it safe and continue with the traditional methods of marketing and promotion that have clearly worked for them so far. However, this is clearly not the case.
On the contrary, the company have recognized that embracing virtual Coca-Cola collectibles are absolutely the way forward. The Coca-Cola NFTs that have been released up to now are only the beginning and the company has outlined their intention to continue along this route with vigour and, of course, new NFTs.
Last year saw the launch of Coca-Cola’s ‘Real Magic’ campaign. As stated in a press release at the time, ‘The “Real Magic” brand philosophy is rooted in the insight that magic lives in unexpected moments of connection that elevate every day into the extraordinary—a timeless learning that feels more relevant than ever in today’s hyperconnected yet divided world.’
The company have incorporated a diverse range of visual imagery featuring a global network of artistic talent from photographers, artists, and illustrators. These virtual Coca-Cola experiences help them build their brand for the future and enter new worlds.
Global Vice President of design, Rapha Abreu notes that, “This is the most diverse visual representation of the Coca-Cola brand in our history and the metaverse is the perfect route for the company to go down in order to do this.”
Current plans include the incorporation of gaming and video technology where fans can win unique prizes by finding hidden codes and entering them to a Coca-Cola ‘micro site’ and win a share of one of the largest-ever prize pools of Bits, a form of virtual goods predominantly used to cheer-on Twitch streamers.
The Bottle is Open
Last year saw Coca-Cola’s NFT online auction raise a staggering winning bid of $575,883.61, proceeds of which were given to the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics is a longtime Coca-Cola partner. Coca-Cola are building connections with leading players like Virtue and Tafi who all are key players in the ever-expanding Metaverse.So while the company is not explicitly revealing their plans for the next stage of their NFT love affair, perhaps not to forewarn those at their arch-rivals Pepsi who jumped on the bandwagon last year, it’s clear that we will see some exciting developments from Coca-Cola in real life and the fast-growing Metaverse soon.
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