Coca-Cola uses classic and contemporary art in its new global campaign Masterpiece to highlight and showcase diverse creators and its beverage, Coke, as a source of upliftment.
The Masterpiece features a host of iconic and contemporary paintings in a two-minute film, which shows a student in an art museum. He seems unable to muster creative inspiration. An arm reaches out from French painter Aket’s Divine Idyll (2022) for a bottle in Warhol’s Coca-Cola (4) (1962), peeling it off and tossing it across the gallery. The bottle is caught and passed along by figures in J.M.W Turner’s The Shipwreck (1805), Edward Munch’s The Scream (1895), and Utagawa Hiroshige’s Drum Bridge and Setting Sun Hill (1858).
The Coke also gets passed through the works of contemporary artists, like Vikram Kushwah, Stefania Tejada and Fatma Ramada. There is also You Can’t Curse Me, Wonderbuhle’s 2022 portrait and Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles (1889). It finally ends up in the hands of Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring (1665), who opens the bottle of Coke for the student. He drinks it up, refreshed – followed by a tagline “Real Magic”.
Coca-Cola said Masterpiece also includes an online gallery, which features interviews with emerging artists, as well as 3-D billboards and a series of digital collectibles. The campaign launches this month in Latin America, followed by Asia and other markets later in the year.
Creating Human Connection
Through its latest campaign, Coca-Cola is reaching out to a community of creatives, positioning itself as a beverage ideal for moments seeking to be uplifted. Patrik Thakar, global head of creative strategy and integrated content for Coca-Cola, said Coke is the story. “Creating human connection and bringing enchantment to everyday moments is what ‘Real Magic’ is all about. True to the spirit of the brand, a diverse collection of artwork spanning multiple genres, geographies and generations comes together to uplift a slumping teenager.”
Michael Dayton, director of licensing, marketing and sales at the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts, expressed excitement at the opportunity to connect the pop artist’s work with the Coca-Cola brand. “These pieces, paired with works by emerging artists from around the globe celebrate the inspirational power of visual art through the magical lens of Coca-Cola.”
The brand has been targeting niche audiences. The beverage has served as a medium-agnostic muse for decades, with artists reimagining its iconic bottle and brand attitudes. In December, Coca-Cola appealed to music lovers with a seven-track sound library and digital beat machine to highlight the recycling efforts of its Sprite, Fresca and Seagram’s beverages. The company’s global marketing efforts helped it gain 7 percent revenue growth of $10.1 billion in the fourth quarter and full-year revenue for 2022, grow 11 percent.
