Introduction
This is a sample strategic communication campaign for The Coca Cola Company that leverages augmented reality technology to build intangible values amongst a global audience. I created this campaign to accompany my graduate capstone research on global brand building and strategic communication in the metaverse. This is not a real initiative for The Coca Cola Company and is in no way associated with the actual organization.
Campaign Overview
Japan has a severe plastics problem. According to a 2018 UN report, Japan is the world’s second-largest consumer of single-use plastic packaging per person, trailing only the United States. One international giant is working to reduce their massive plastic footprint in Japan: The Coca Cola Company.
In 2018, The Coca Cola Company launched a global initiative to dramatically reduce its environmental impact of plastics and packing, called “World Without Waste.” The Coca Cola system in Japan announced its commitment to this global initiative through activities built on the three pillars of “Design, Collect, and Partner.” In the “design” pillar, Coca Cola aims to use 100% sustainable materials in PET bottles of all products sold in Japan. Under the “collect” pillar, the goal is to recover 100% of PET bottles equivalent to that of the products they sell in Japan. Finally, under the “partner” pillar, they plan to build and maintain steady recycling and collection schemes in cooperation with the Government of Japan, local governments, and communities and consumers.
In Japan, Coca Cola prides itself on constant innovation in a Japanese market that is incredibly dynamic and a society that values corporate social responsibility more than most other major economies in the world. A technological innovation that has recently taken Japan by storm is the incorporation of emerging technologies, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, in brand activity. Coca Cola has an opportunity to reduce its plastic footprint in Japan by leveraging these innovative technologies to engage with Japanese consumers and achieve their global vision of a “World Without Waste.”
The Big Idea
Coca Cola has an opportunity to reduce its plastic footprint in Japan by engaging with Japanese consumers with emerging technologies to collaborate in achieving their global vision of a “World Without Waste.”
The “地球を守る” (pronounced, ‘Chikyuwomamarou’) campaign, “Save the Earth” in English, will replace plastic labels on Coca Cola bottled products with QR codes that provide an immersive augmented reality experience to consumers encouraging them to recycle the bottle. Not only does this reduce the amount of plastic used in the actual production of bottles, but it also influences consumers to recycle, hitting on all three sustainable pillars of “design, collect, and partner.”
Coca Cola successfully launched labelless bottles in April of 2020, significantly reducing the amount of plastic used in packaging. Competitor Asahi Soft Drinks adapted this idea even earlier in 2018, which became widely popular and was well received by consumers. By developing this previously successful initiative with a new augmented reality experience, Coca Cola Japan can contribute to the “World Without Waste” initiative, improve Japan’s recycling performance, and create intangible values with consumers to ultimately increase The Coca Cola Company’s global brand value.