Coca-Cola hails the power of the hug in Paris Olympics spot

Coca-Cola's emotive ‘It’s Magic When The World Comes Together’ campaign aims to celebrate the ‘Real Magic’ of human connection and its belief in the power of inclusivity and cross-cultural connection, at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

The global campaign, developed by WPP Open X led by Ogilvy and supported by EssenceMediaCom, VML and Hogarth, reinforces Coca-Cola’s iconic hug motif as the theme for Paris 2024 and hopes to showcase the collective power of sport to unify people and celebrate their differences.

The brand campaign is inspired by iconic moments of coming together between competitors at past Olympic Games – from the 12 swimmers who hugged each other at the 4 x 100m relay at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, to Olympic Bronze Medallist, John Wing, who wrote to the International Olympic Committee to champion all athletes coming out together at the Closing Ceremony in 1956 in Melbourne.

Hugs are the centrepiece of Coca-Cola’s new brand film, which features swimming champion Tatjana Schoenmaker hugging athletes, Lilly King, Kaylene Corbett and Annie Lazor, in a nod to Tokyo 2020, when they embraced her after breaking the world record for the fastest 200m breaststroke.

These ‘Real Magic’ moments will be elevated across OOH, dynamic digital content on social media, experiences and illustrated across distinctive new Coca-Cola cans.

Brand Film

Coca-Cola’s campaign film shares the powerful moment Tatjana Schoenmaker catches sight of Lilly King, Kaylene Corbett and Annie Lazor in Paris 2024 and walks over to hug them. As the four of them embrace in front of a packed arena, a lady in the crowd sipping a Coca-Cola, is inspired by the touching moment, and feels compelled to do the same - embracing a vendor in the stands. This sparks a ripple effect of people around the stadium, the streets of Paris, and the world, coming together to embrace.

Tatjana Schoenmaker comments on the magic of the Olympic Games, “It has the power to unite us because we can all find something inspirational or something we can relate to in each athlete's story, whether it is a story of success or of disappointment.”

Lilly King adds, “It gives the world a chance to realize that no matter where we come from, we are all human. It is a true "love thy neighbor" experience for everyone across the world.”

Commenting on the moment the swimmers embrace, Kaylene Corbett says, “I wanted to hug Tatjana because I was overcome with emotion and excitement.”

Reacting to seeing Coca-Cola's brand film, Annie Lazor adds, “I love that it really captures the Olympic spirit. It is about so much more than competition, winning and losing; it’s about the coming together of the world, forming relationships with people from vastly different makeups and backgrounds.”

The Hug Cam

The TVC will be supported by dynamic digital content from Coca-Cola bringing Paris 2024 to the world, capturing real-time hugs from Paris and broadcasting these moments of unity around the world across social channels.

The Embrace Can

Coca-Cola has launched a distinctive new can design with an illustration of one side of a hug, so that when two cans are placed next to each other they create an embrace. People purchasing a pair have the opportunity to win a range of prizes, unique merchandise and coupons.

Artist-designed Embrace Can

Available exclusively in France, Coca-Cola has collaborated with French artists, Laura Normand, Aurelia Durand and Bruno Mangyoku, to create three unique can designs. The stories behind the designs will also be amplified across OOH, social media and point of sale across the country.

Global Vice President Creative Strategy & Content at The Coca-Cola Company, Islam ElDessouky comments, “Each of us has our own story. Our differences are what make us unique, but when we come together, that’s when the ‘Real Magic’ happens. We wanted to embody that spirit across all touchpoints of our experience and make the Coca-Cola hug the symbol for Paris 2024, elevating our content in dynamic and engaging ways that resonate with fans visiting the city and beyond.”

In its role as a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and Presenting Partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay, The Coca-Cola Company will refresh athletes, officials and spectators with its wide product portfolio of beverages.