Big Santa
Coca Cola
Issue 22 | March 2012
Agency
Ogilvy Action Argentina
Creative Team
General Creative Directors: Javier Mentasti, Maximiliamo Maddalena ; Art Director: Tomas Lavagno ; Copywriter: Miguel Dianda
Production Team
Agency Producers: José Cardelli, Martin Cecchi
Other Credits
Account Team: Karina Aiello, Barbara Storey ; Production Company: Blue Films ; Executive Producer: Gonzalo Fontana ; Post Production: La Sociedad Post
Date
December 2011.
Background
Coca-Cola Argentina sees Christmas as an important time to talk to people about its core message, spreading happiness. They wanted a way to remind parents as well as children that Christmas is a magical time and to keep the spirit alive.
Idea
At Christmas-time, in malls everywhere, Santa often makes an appearance to give children a hug and listen to them about their Christmas wishes. Coca-Cola decided to bring a Santa in specially for the grown-ups. While their children lined up to meet a regular Santa, parents could line up to meet a Santa of their own, 2.19m tall (that’s 7ft 2”) and remember what it was like to be little and excited.
Results
For many parents, the magic of Christmas rediscovered.
Our Thoughts
In 2011, Ogilvy Brazil won Silver at Cannes for Coca-Cola with a campaign called ‘Santa’s Forgotten Letters’, which we loved. Seeing an opportunity, their sister agency next door, Ogilvy Argentina, has come up with a Christmas idea of their own for Coke. And very sweet it is too.
Actually, Ogilvy Argentina was Direct Agency of the Year at Cannes in 2011, with a raft of campaigns which were almost entirely experiential rather than traditional direct marketing. This follows on in the tradition. I love the way South American agencies blithely ignore the results section of the submission form. But what the heck? Coca-Cola is wiping the floor with Pepsi. Certainly in western countries, the ‘happiness’ strategy is resonating with increasingly secular communities.