The Game
View the case- Brand
- Coca-Cola
- Year
- 2008
- Objective
- Awareness
- Industry
- Food & Drink
- Mechanic
- Mini-Games
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- North Kingdom
Objective
Coca-Cola Germany wanted to hitch Coke Zero to the EURO 2008 football frenzy and speak directly to its core audience — German men aged 20–29. Rather than a one-off ad hit, the brand wanted sustained engagement and user registration, backed by a prize tie-in offering "Super-Mega" packages to UEFA EURO 2008.
Solution
The player watches live-action video footage, and at key moments takes over with a simple keypress or mouse move, turning the clip into a playable scene. Along the way they steer the hero, Tim, through four mini-games — jumping a car, striking a ball, flipping a coin, and playing pinball — as he and three girls race to reach the stadium's VIP zone before kickoff. Registering unlocks extra video scenes and stronger in-game gear, plus downloads like wallpapers, ringtones, and a bonus game. The session plays out as one continuous story, alternating between watching and playing until Tim reaches the VIP zone.
Results
1,400,000 visitors completed the games, with an average time on site of 9.5 minutes; the campaign expanded to more than ten international markets beyond Germany.
- 1
The game opens on a German-language landing page for Coca-Cola Zero, promising "Super-Mega" prize packages tied to the UEFA EURO 2008 tournament, with a button to start.
- 2
It plays as an interactive film: a continuous video follows a character named Tim, and the player periodically takes control at scripted moments. Three female characters guide Tim through the story and introduce each challenge.
- 3
The stated goal is to reach the arena's VIP zone before kickoff; the path there is broken into a series of challenges, each a short mini-game embedded directly in the video sequence.
- 4
One challenge is a driving segment: the player accelerates a car and times a ramp jump to clear a gap and land in an underground parking area.
- 5
Another challenge is a soccer kick: the player strikes a ball for maximum power and accuracy to break through a wall.
- 6
Another challenge is a keepy-uppy segment: the player juggles a ball in the air, keeping it aloft as long as possible.
- 7
The final challenge is a full pinball table built in Flash, where the player works the flippers to keep the ball in play and rack up points.
- 8
Between episodes the game prompts the player to register; the unregistered version is limited, while registering unlocks additional video scenes and stronger in-game items.
- 9
Clearing all the challenges delivers Tim to the stadium for a closing arena scene, the destination the whole game has been building toward.
- 10
The session ends with downloadable rewards: wallpapers, ringtones, and access to a separate bonus game.
