Coca-Cola Breaks Out Two Very Different Flavours in New WPP Campaigns

Key Takeaways

• Two Mexico‑themed Coca‑Cola ads launched same day for World Cup and centennial
• "Uncanned emotions" is a 30‑second football spot airing in 30 markets
• "Last Coca‑Cola in the desert" is a 3.5‑minute documentary celebrating 100 years
• Both ads scored 6 on MAA creative scale despite differing styles
• Separate WPP agencies handled each, revealing coordination challenges

Pulse Analysis

Coca‑Cola chose Mexico as the narrative anchor for two high‑profile campaigns released on the same day. The first, a 30‑second spot titled “Uncanned emotions,” captures the excitement of the FIFA World Cup opening match in Mexico on June 11 and will run in 30 markets, primarily across Europe. The second, a three‑and‑a‑half‑minute mini‑documentary called “Last Coca‑Cola in the desert,” commemorates the company’s 100‑year anniversary in Mexico, weaving local folklore into a brand‑heritage story. Both pieces leverage the country’s cultural cachet to engage distinct audiences. The timing aligns Coca‑Cola’s global media spend with peak viewership, maximizing ROI.

Both campaigns were produced under the WPP umbrella but by different creative houses—Open X handled the football spot while Ogilvy, with VML’s input, produced the documentary. The split reflects a common practice in global advertising where specialized agencies are tapped for sport‑centric versus heritage‑focused storytelling. However, the lack of a unifying creative thread earned the campaigns a modest MAA creative scale of 6, suggesting that even strong individual executions can suffer when brand cohesion is fragmented across multiple partners. Such fragmentation can also complicate measurement, making it harder to attribute sales lift to a single creative concept.

The dual rollout underscores the tension between leveraging event‑driven buzz and preserving a consistent brand narrative. For multinational brands like Coca‑Cola, aligning creative direction across agencies can amplify the emotional resonance of both sport and heritage messages, especially in markets where cultural identity drives consumption. As advertisers increasingly chase real‑time relevance—whether through World Cup tie‑ins or centennial storytelling—coordinated planning will become a competitive differentiator, ensuring that disparate assets reinforce rather than dilute the core brand promise.