Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. will launch its Freestyle machines in all Burger King Corp. company-owned restaurant locations across the United States.
"The ability to customize your own beverages combined with the quality that Coca-Cola Freestyle delivers to our guests is a perfect addition to our most recent new menu offerings," said Steve Wiborg, president of Burger King Corp. in North America, in a statement. "Adding Coca-Cola Freestyle further enhances our guests’ experience when they visit Burger King restaurants. We're excited to be the largest franchise system in the U.S. to roll out the fountains in all company-owned restaurants and look forward to further growing our business with Coca-Cola as our partner."
Coca-Cola Freestyle provides more than 100 sparkling and still beverage brands from a single freestanding unit. The dispenser is touch-screen operated and serves regular and low-calorie beverage brands, flavored waters, sports drinks, lemonades and other options, many exclusive to Coca-Cola Freestyle and never before available in the United States, such as caffeine-free Diet Coke with Lime, Fanta Peach, Minute Maid Light Orange Lemonade and more.
In other company news, The Coca-Cola Co. will revert its Arctic Home cans from a white color scheme to its iconic red. In late October, The Coca-Cola Co., in collaboration with the Washington, D.C.-based World Wildlife Fund, launched the Arctic Home program to raise awareness and funds for the polar bear and its Arctic habitat. For the first time in the company’s history, Coca-Cola changed the color of its cans from red to white in support of the campaign.
However, the company recently decided to stop producing the white cans and feature the same polar bear design, but with a red background. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, some shoppers were confusing the limited-edition white cans with Diet Coke cans; some thought the beverage tasted different in the white cans; and others missed the company’s iconic red color.
“There has been no change to the classic Coca-Cola formula that everyone knows and loves,” the company said in a statement. “It's still the same great-tasting, refreshing Coke, but in a limited-edition white package.”
The limited-edition white cans were originally scheduled to be in stores through February, however, The Coca-Cola Co. introduced the next limited-edition red Arctic Home cans this month. The limited-edition white Arctic Home cans will remain on store shelves as supplies last, the company says.
Phase two of the Arctic Home campaign will begin with an integrated marketing program, prominently featuring polar bears and the company’s iconic Santa Claus icon. Red can imagery will be on new point-of-sale materials in stores and featured across the company’s television, cinema, print, digital and out-of-home advertising, The Coca-Cola Co. says.
In addition, the company will feature its Sundblom Santa for the holiday season. He will be displayed in stores, in Times Square advertising, on 8-ounce glass Coca-Cola bottles and on its traveling Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan.
The company also is releasing its new "Shake up Christmas" spots, with music from Natasha Bedingfield, across TV and cinema. The first spot opens with vignettes of people who are alone and feel disconnected from shared holiday celebrations: a piano player who performs a solo for tables of holiday revelers at a restaurant; a father who is stuck working late at the office; and a solitary young worker who is hanging holiday decorations on the side of a building. While on his break and enjoying a Coca-Cola in his workshop, Santa Claus begins tilting the snow globe inside of which these three men all exist. The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan delivery trucks are sent into action, and the three men begin rolling to their new destinations to be reunited with their loved ones. A second spot focuses on two boys, who are similarly brought together through the gentle tilts of Santa's snow globe to play soccer with one another.
The digital campaign will include mobile initiatives such as an application to create and share personalized Christmas greetings by cropping a photo into a dance performance to the song, "Shake Up Christmas." It also will include a Facebook gaming application and gifting of mobile assets, such as customized Christmas wallpaper and ringtones.
Burger King adds Coca-Cola’s Freestyle machines
Source: Beverage Industry