Thank You for Coke-Creating
Bodega owners, shopkeepers, and street artists around the world had been hand-painting their own versions of the Coca-Cola logo for decades. Instead of a cease and desist, we gave them a global platform: “Thank You for Coke-Creating.”
An 137-year-old logo, reinterpreted by the people who love it most.
Coca-Cola's script logo has stayed remarkably consistent since 1887, becoming one of the most recognized wordmarks on Earth.
And that recognition and brand love often turns to imitation. For decades, bodega owners, shopkeepers, and street artists around the world have been hand-painting their own versions of it, some elegant, some defying gravity, all instantly Coke.
Most brands might have shut it down. We saw an opportunity instead: to celebrate the brand love of shop owners all around the world by giving them a global platform that celebrates their creations.
We scouted hundreds of handmade logo interpretations from local businesses and turned them into a global campaign, “Thank You for Coke-Creating.” We featured their work on custom merch, Coca-Cola cans, and in local media buys right in their market.
It went on to become the most creatively awarded piece of work in Coca-Cola's history, and introduced the world to a few local celebrities.
Worked with local bottlers and front-line teams to find the artworks already out there.
Put media dollars into hyper-local placements, promoting the actual shop behind each piece.
Made personalized products, sold only in the shop where that artwork was first painted.
Shared the work globally as a message about plurality and inclusion.
By listening, we found infinite designs not generated by Midjourney, but by brush, paint, and heart.
It's been incredible to see the unique and individual interpretations of the Coca-Cola logo. These visuals are so meaningful and impactful — signs for local businesses capturing the colors of cultures and the personalities of communities. We're proud to celebrate and embrace their work.
Success Highlights
From the Street Up
Scouted hundreds of handmade Coca-Cola logo interpretations from bodegas, murals, and local shops around the world, choosing the campaign's hero visuals from real signage instead of a studio.
A Global Takeover
Ran across five markets: Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Australia, and the United States. That included a takeover of Coca-Cola's own Instagram profile photo and a placement in New York's Times Square.
What Rafael Said
VML's deputy global CCO Rafael Pitanguy called it proof that the Coca-Cola brand is being reinterpreted in every corner of the world, made possible only because the logo is so ingrained in culture.
Flipping the Playbook
Turned what most brands treat as trademark infringement into a celebration, an act of trust in just how deeply Coca-Cola's identity already lives in culture.
The artworks themselves came from far more than five markets, among them Bali, Caucaia, Johannesburg, La Obrera, Benito Juárez, Soweto, Chillagoe, Heliópolis, San Felipe del Progreso, Jardim Felicidade, and Mexico City.
The Results
Awards
Coke's Logo Gets a Handmade Upgrade for Its New Ad
Talented Partners
Agency
VML
WPP Open X
Ogilvy PR
PR CompanyEssenceMediacom
Media CompanyCreative
Debbi Vandeven
Global CCORafael Pitanguy
Deputy Global CCOGabriel Jardim
ECDGuto Monteiro
ECDGuilherme Possobon
CDDaniel Thomer
CDPedro Assis
Associate CDBreno Oliveira
Associate CDAndrew Keller
Global CCO, WPP Open XStrategy
Chase Cornett
Global Chief Strategy OfficerClient Leadership
Stephanie DeCelles
Global Client LeadKyla Jacobs
Global Category Lead, WPP Open XKaylee Douglas
Integration LeadProduction
Greg Lotus
Global Head of ProductionNicole Godoy
Head of ProductionDanielle Deschaine
PMO