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Sprite program connects with multicultural millennials

A multifaceted campaign from LGA earlier this fall is part of efforts by the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, Coke Consolidated, to help Sprite gain market share in the face of a decades-long decline in U.S. soda consumption.

A key part of the Sprite brand’s strategy is to connect with the next generation of soft drink consumers, namely young adults, who have a much more multicultural skew than the general population, by positioning the brand as a platform for creative expression.

Reflecting that strategy, LGA developed an integrated program to leverage Sprite’s sponsorship of Fashion Week Columbus, one of the apparel industry’s leading events. With the nation’s third-largest concentration of fashion designers, central Ohio was the ideal location to celebrate and support up-and-coming designers.

Part of the Fashion Week sponsorship included giving a scholarship to a deserving Columbus College of Art and Design student, but Coke Consolidated and Sprite wanted to do even more to foster creativity. So LGA commissioned a student from the school to create a Sprite-inspired mural in Columbus’ popular Franklinton Arts District. The mural served as a photo destination for Fashion Week fans, and a branded hashtag allowed the team to measure the success and reach online.

Once the mural was created, LGA worked with urban radio station Power 107.5 to promote it through a live remote with popular personality DJ Mr. King as well as an in-market contest and brand-building radio integrations.

LGA also struck partnerships with local social media influencer and Fashion Week Columbus designer Gerardo Encinas, as well as Heart of It All, a nonprofit organization that provides free training to those interested in fashion careers. Local TV station WBNS-TV also featured the mural in newscasts leading up to the Fashion Week events.

Sprite had a large presence at the finale event, where attendees enjoyed beverages from Sprite-green glow-in-the-dark cups and could have their picture made in front of a backdrop that featured the Sprite-inspired mural.

Developed and executed in just over three weeks, the campaign met or exceeded all of Coke Consolidated’s objectives. In just one week, photos of the mural and the official hashtag reached more than half a million people and earned almost 10,000 engagements organically through local user accounts, in addition to the paid and earned media exposure.

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