Kicks-Off

Objective

Coca-Cola aimed to leverage its sponsorship of the 2018 FIFA World Cup by creating a memorable fan engagement experience at a high-traffic location. The campaign connected European football fans—particularly Swiss supporters—to the tournament through an innovative technology activation. The business objective was to build brand affinity during the peak World Cup season by delivering an experiential moment that associated Coca-Cola with world-class football talent and fan excitement.

Solution

The "Kicks-Off" activation was a large-format augmented reality installation deployed at Zurich's central train station. Participants could play virtual penalty kicks and shots against Swiss footballer Xherdan Shaqiri, whose likeness was captured on green screen and integrated into the AR experience. The interaction flow allowed fans to watch a brief demonstration of Shaqiri's skills, then challenge him directly by taking shots on screen. Each participant received a photo opportunity capturing their moment with the virtual athlete and entered their contact details for a chance to win an official FIFA World Cup match ball. On-site brand ambassadors distributed Coca-Cola products to enhance the experiential engagement.

Results

The activation generated over 1,000 interactions across two separate activation periods in June 2018. No additional quantitative metrics regarding conversion, social media reach, or sales impact were publicly disclosed.