COCA-COLA / COKE SIDE OF LIFE“The Coke Side of Life didn’t just sell more Coke.
It made the brand culturally relevant again”
Launching the “Coke Side of Life” Coca-Cola’s first major global brand campaign in over ten years, unified under one optimistic, lifestyle-driven message. The campaign aimed to reconnect emotionally with consumers by positioning Coke not just as a drink, but as a symbol of happiness, positivity, and shared moments… a return to the brand’s core values.
The “Coke Side of Life” campaign was both a commercial success and a creative triumph. Critics and industry insiders emphasized its universal emotional resonance, ability to unify global markets under one message, and creative strategy that reconnected the brand to its core identity.
The campaign is widely credited with restoring Coca-Cola’s status as a cultural icon.
Agency: Wieden+Kenney
HAPPINESS FACTORY / TV
Coca-Cola’s ‘Happiness Factory’ TV advertising became iconic for turning a simple vending machine into a magical world of optimism.
With its groundbreaking CGI animation, the now-famous rotating bottle, and imaginative storytelling, it brought Coca-Cola’s promise of happiness to life in a way that captivated audiences and set a new standard in advertising.
GLOBAL CREATIVE COLLABORATION
The campaign is a true collaboration with artists, designers, musicians and film makers around the world commissioned to create experimental work for the campaign.
The result is a range of original artworks by emerging image-makers as different as Catalina Estrada, Geneviève Gauckler or the Peepshow Collective, … many of whom have gone on to make strong impacts in today’s graphic design & art scene
GLOBAL MARKETING ACTIVATION
Coke Side of Life was one of the most ambitious and widely integrated campaigns in Coca-Cola's history, spanning more than 150 countries and rolled out in over 35 languages.
Coke Side of Life was primarily a global multimedia campaign, and also leveraged a full 360-degree media strategy with TV, digital, outdoor, cinema, experiential marketing, and branded entertainment.
The campaign stands as one of Coca‑Cola’s most expensive campaigns to date
with global media spend exceeding $400 million and total campaign investment topping $1 billion (in 2016)
“We literally brought the feeling of drinking Coke to life. … invited everyone … to open the bottle and show us their own expression ”
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
Flagship TV spot "Happiness Factory": An animated fantasy that captured the magic inside a Coca-Cola vending machine, hailed as a modern classic of advertising.
Digital-first approach: Pioneered social and online media integration at a global scale, reaching younger audiences through creative digital activations.
User engagement: Online content was viewed millions of times on platforms like YouTube, a bold move in the pre-viral era.
Iconic design: Unified packaging and visuals globally under vibrant, surrealistic imagery celebrating life’s pleasures.
Awards won: Cannes Gold & Silver Lions; Emmy nomination
IMPACT & EFFECTIVENESS:
Global: spend $400M on the campaign, $1B total investment
Trademark brand growth: Double-digit lift, best in nearly a decade and reversing years of stagnation
Market share: increase+2%, equating to millions of new customers
Markets reached: over 170 markets across 35+ languages
Revenue/volume lift post‑campaign: Revenue +4%, volume +2%
Longevity: It laid the groundwork for future successful platforms like Open Happiness and Taste the Feeling.
Brand health: Positive brand perception metrics rose across markets, with "happiness" becoming a re-associated emotional trigger with Coca-Cola.
LOCAL ACTIVATIONS AND EVENTS
While Coke Side of Life was primarily a global multimedia campaign, the core local activations were lead through art-driven events, pop‑up exhibitions and public displays revolved around art showcases, street-level visuals, and branded public installations aligned with the campaign's themes of happiness, creativity, and spontaneity. These efforts served to reinforce the global message in a culturally relevant way.
SUMMARY