Cerulean Challenge
View the case- Brand
- Smartwater
- Year
- 2026
- Mechanic
- Mini-Games
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- The Barbarian Group
Objective
Coca-Cola timed the smartwater "cerulean" push to the theatrical release of The Devil Wears Prada 2, reviving the original film's famous cerulean monologue to make the case that smartwater is a drink for people with discerning taste. Turning a line about a subtle shade of blue into an actual color-matching challenge let the brand translate a cultural reference into a concrete consumer action. It also gave a limited-edition bottle on Target shelves a direct line into a Coca-Cola account and sweepstakes entry.
Solution
Players reach the game by scanning a QR code on a limited-edition smartwater bottle - recolored from the brand's usual blue to cerulean and sold exclusively at Target - which opens a challenge page on Coca-Cola's site. The page first reminds players what true cerulean looks like, then starts a two-minute clock and drops them into a field of blue swatches ranging from navy to cyan, asking them to spot the one real cerulean shade before time runs out, with Miranda Priestly heckling their picks along the way. Nailing the shade ends the session with a film-inspired title (like "The Next Emily") and an entry into a sweepstakes for prizes including a cerulean sweater replica, AMC tickets to the movie, a collectible issue of Runway magazine, and the bottle itself.
- 1
Entry begins in the real world: a limited-edition smartwater bottle recolored from its usual blue to "cerulean," sold at Target and marked with a QR code tied to The Devil Wears Prada 2.
- 2
Scanning the code (or visiting the promo link directly) takes the player to a browser-based challenge on Coca-Cola's site; no purchase is required to play.
- 3
Before the timer starts, an intro screen reminds the player what the specific shade of cerulean actually looks like.
- 4
The core round is a two-minute timed search: the player scans a field of blue swatches ranging from navy to cyan and taps the one true cerulean, while Miranda Priestly delivers dry commentary on each guess.
- 5
Correctly identifying the shade earns the player a film-themed title, such as "The Next Emily."
- 6
Players can convert that result into a sweepstakes entry by creating or logging into a Coca-Cola account, capped at one entry per person for the whole campaign.
- 7
Players who skip the game can instead mail in a handwritten 3x5 card with their contact details to a P.O. Box by the entry deadline for the same one entry.
- 8
After entries close, winners are drawn at random for grand prizes (AMC tickets, a cerulean sweater, a Runway magazine issue, and a smartwater bottle) or first-tier AMC ticket prizes, notified by email.
