P-O-P Spotlight: Coca-Cola's 'Refresh Your Galaxy' Campaign
The Coca-Cola Co. activated its long-running licensing deal with Walt Disney Co. last summer for a massive “Refresh Your Galaxy” marketing campaign, releasing Coca-Cola and Coke Zero Sugar in limited-edition cans and bottles depicting 21 different "Star Wars" characters to drive trips and boost sales.
"For generations, Coca-Cola and Disney have shared a commitment to creating moments of joy and human connection," Islam ElDessouky, Coca-Cola global vice president creative strategy & content, said in a statement. "This collaboration is about more than just bringing together two iconic brands — it's about celebrating the power of 'Star Wars' fandom, shared passions, and the strength of community when we lift each other up."
QR codes on the cans and ads unlocked AR digital experiences involving the characters, allowing fans to record messages in the style of a "Star Wars" hologram. WPP Open X developed the campaign, which was led by Ogilvy. It kicked off with a short film showing costumed fans drinking Coca-Cola at a screening and reenacting scenes from the films in the theater. The creative was shared across TV, digital platforms, and through OOH activations. The campaign also received heavy retail support.
Headers placed atop case stacks of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Barq’s and Fanta at a Wegmans in New York depicted the limited-edition cans and encouraged shoppers to "Collect the Galaxy."
"Collect the Galaxy" side panels depicting the Mandalorian Din Djarin appeared on a permanent Coca-Cola endcap at a Meijer in East Lansing, Michigan.
The same message appeared on a dump bin shaped like the droid R2-D2 that stocked bottles of Coca-Cola in the soda aisle of a Kroger in St. Clair Shores, Michigan.
The R2-D2 dump bin appeared alongside a refrigerated endcap at Kroger’s Mariano’s in Wheaton, Illinois.
An aisle display depicting Darth Vader and his former student Ahsoka Tano stocked 12-packs of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Sprite at Weis Markets in Binghamton, New York. Elsewhere in the store, cooler clings dangled a free 1.25-liter bottle of Coca-Cola with the purchase of a store brand frozen pizza.
The same characters and “Refreshing Adventure Awaits” message appeared on a spectacular at a Zehrs in Barrie, Ontario, that also incorporated a "Star Wars" case wrap and a pair of the R2-D2 dump bins.
Since 2003, P2PI has served as marketers’ eyes in the aisles and offered its member community access to a robust Image Vault, which today comprises nearly 160,000 images (and counting), across a variety of retailers, product categories, channels, touchpoints and themes. Each month, we will showcase a sampling of eye-catching physical activations and themes from the vault.
- About Field Reports
P2PI editors and staff regularly look for interesting and relevant digital and in-store marketing, monitoring the merchandising and marketing activity at various leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada. Our exclusive field reports highlight what's new and notable for commerce marketers.
