Coca-Cola on air again

Coca-Cola debuted its first new advertisement since the pandemic started, shining a spotlight on socially distanced meals around the globe, according to materials the company shared with Marketing Dive.

Year of disruptions

This year wore the global brands too. 2020 thoroughly stirred up Coca-Cola’s advertising plans. When restaurants and bars shuttered and concerts and sporting events were canceled during the early stages of the pandemic, Coca-Cola downshifted its advertising focus from out-of-home, billboards and TV to smaller digital and streaming options in order to connect with homebound consumers seeking entertainment.

Old-new focus

Earlier in June, Coca-Cola revealed plans for a new focus on agility and flexibility through real-time content production and streaming in the months ahead. “The Great Meal” spot that debuts this week follows the theme of ads from previous years, showcasing people sharing meals in restaurants and drinking the soda, though the latest message has been updated to resonate with folks in the era of social distancing.

Refreshing in the new normal

“The Great Meal” shows 13 real households from eight cities around the world cooking together and sharing Coca-Cola during the meal. The ad calls on people to dine together this summer, even several meters apart or remotely as people remain close to home during the pandemic.

The ad, which was created with agency Anomaly New York, was filmed remotely during the quarantine. It is currently running in the U.S. and will air in Germany, Spain, Morocco, France, most Asian countries and India in the coming weeks.

That “new normal” includes a heightened level of accountability toward global brands to take stances on social injustices and make real change when it comes to protecting against the pandemic and fighting racism.

“The Great Meal” adspot also meets this expectation, as it shows that wherever there is a family or a small community, it is good to rediscover each other, to experience and share things together, because “together tastes better”.