Coca-Cola’s new ad featuring Deepika Padukone goes viral
The Coca Cola spot featuring Deepika Padukone has gone viral garnering close to a million views on company's YouTube channel
New Delhi: Bumping into a superstar is one thing but getting stuck with him or her in a dysfunctional elevator is quite another. The new ad ‘Elevator’ for global beverage brand Coca-Cola builds on this interesting premise and packs in the celebrity power of Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone who is riding on the success of her Hollywood debut film xXx: Return of Xander Cage.
The spot, released on Wednesday morning, has gone viral garnering close to a million views on company’s YouTube channel.
Made by advertising agency McCann India, the commercial is a local rendition of Coke’s global campaign. It opens with Padukone escaping media frenzy outside a hotel and taking an elevator which breaks down abruptly.
A room service attendant in the elevator promptly offers her a chilled bottle of Coke. Both of them drink the cola which acts as an ice-breaker and lightens up the environment. The next few shots show Padukone bonding and dancing with the attendant on a peppy track that she is listening to on her phone, suggesting that Coke helps in breaking barriers and lets loose the carefree spirit.
“While the countries and places may differ, the simple pleasure of enjoying a Coke remains universal. The ad is truly enjoyable due to celebrity quotient of Deepika Padukone, upbeat music, great storytelling and a positive message that no matter what you do, you can always bond over Coca-Cola," said Debabrata Mukherjee, vice-president – marketing, Coca-Cola India.
The current campaign will be subsequently hyperlocalised for Punjab with singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh. Apart from television and digital, the campaign will be followed by a pilot run of the on-ground consumer engagement activities leveraging 3D hologram technology. The company is also evaluating running a contest where consumers will get a chance to meet their favourite stars.
Prasoon Joshi, chairman Asia Pacific, chief executive and chief creative officer - India, McCann said “The new Coca-Cola ‘Elevator’ campaign captures a tale of togetherness between total strangers. The brand breaks the ice and makes the connection between the celebrity and the awe-struck fan special. The choice of music and dance make the film truly enjoyable."
In January last year, Coca-Cola introduced new ‘Taste the Feeling’ tagline marking a major strategic shift in the global beverage brand’s marketing strategy as it dropped its seven-year old brand proposition of ‘Open Happiness’. The company announced that it will adopt the ‘one brand’ approach which will extend the equity and appeal of the brand to Coca-Cola Light/Diet Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Life.
It also rolled out its first desi campaign under the ‘Taste the feeling’ positioning with Bollywood actor Sidhartha Malhotra.
Rahul Mathew, creative head, DDB Mudra West feels that the Indian version of the campaign is way better than the international spot as the actors bring out the fun element better.
“However, the premise of getting stuck in an elevator and a product being used as an ice-breaker is an old one. I also think that the brand could have used an Indian song to truly localize the ad. Adapting an international creative should not be limited to replacing the celebrities," he said.
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