Brands look up to Coca-Cola in awe as it has accomplished milestones and collaborations, unlike any other company. It includes Coca-Cola maintaining naming rights to the NASCAR World 600 race since 1985. Coca-Cola became the official drink of NASCAR in 1998.
The cold drink brand also hosts a roster of top drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Danica Patrick, for the Coca-Cola Racing Family. The company reunited with racing motorsport veterans for a “Legends” content series to celebrate its 25th anniversary with NASCAR. This gives the brand an opportunity to make its social content stand out from its traditional marketing pathways.
Al Rondon, senior marketing manager of sports and entertainment at Coca-Cola, said they thought about doing the simplest way possible and came up with a mic and let them tell the story. It resulted in a conversational content series featuring Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, and Bobby Labonte. The content focuses on these veterans’ legacies, relationships with Coca-Cola, and light-hearted topics. Rondon said the drivers agree that Coca-Cola (Coke) helped legitimize the sport and take it to a whole new level.
Amy Creech, vice president of 160over90, said the six-episode series has garnered more than 15 million views. It boasts an engagement rate of 12 percent. She shared there’s a high level of trust and partnership that Coca-Cola and NASCAR have built over a great amount of time. Coca-Cola utilized the legends in its internal and external experiential activations, having them serve as grandmasters for the Coca-Cola 600 or making appearances at bottling plants.
Creech said they received positive feedback on social channels. “We all really underestimate how people really do crave nostalgia and how it’s so comforting to remember the past.”
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