Coca-Cola unveils specially created symbolised cans for Chinese New Year

Coca-Cola has introduced a Chinese New Year campaign in Singapore and Malaysia that features Chinese symbols on its canned drinks. These symbols are a knot, lantern, tangerine, koi fish, cherry blossom, pussy willow, gold coin and butterfly fan.Conceptualised by DIA Brands, the idea behind the symbols is attributed to Coca-Cola’s Chinese New Year communication platform - 多福多乐 KĔ KŎU KĔ LÈ, DUŌ FÚ DUŌ LÈ. This translates to “Coca-Cola, More Prosperity and More Joy”. Pratik Thakar, director and head of integrated marketing communications - ASEAN said that DIA Brands leveraged 多福多乐 KĔ KŎU KĔ LÈ, DUŌ FÚ DUŌ LÈ while “breathing new life” into revered Chinese symbols.In a statement to Marketing, Dinesh Sandhu, managing director, DIA Brands said that the campaign will run across all marketing communications. These include ATL, OOH, social, promotions, POS and packaging across Coca-Cola Classic, Light, Zero and Stevia throughout the whole Chinese New Year period.According to Pratik Thakar, these eight images have been the foundation of this year’s Chinese New Year campaign. The campaign is extended to omni-channel touchpoints including premium collectibles in Singapore and Malaysia. “A testament of the ability of this concept to travel is that other SEA markets has adapted it for their premiums,” he added.Nigel Smith, executive creative director of DIA Group said that the 2019 Coca-Cola Chinese New Year campaign is an example of the company’s approach in building remarkable brands. “DIA has a creative tradition of turning briefs on their heads. We sought to harmonise the Coca-Cola brand through it’s unique ‘contour’ bottle with Chinese cultural symbols that are key tenets of the festival signifying abundance and prosperity,” he added.“Chinese New Year is a key commercial activity in both markets and a standout feature in the promotional calendar. The puzzle that we had to solve was to disrupt the sea of sameness while retaining the inspirational symbols that represented popular Chinese culture and tradition,” Sandhu said.