Coca-Cola gives the iconic Weibo eye a refreshing break

In a ground-breaking platform-first, Coca-Cola Keeps Weibo users' eyes wide open during the afternoon Slump.

Picture this: it's a typical summer afternoon and the clock strikes 2:00 PM. You're feeling sluggish, so you decide to take a break.

Digital Breaks

In China, 80% of Gen Z swipes social media for a digital break, and Weibo, an app similar to Twitter with a daily active user count reaching 255 million, is their go-to platform to browse what's trending.

And during that break what drink first comes to mind?

Coca-Cola wants young people in China to grab an ice-cold Coke whenever they need an uplifting break. So, Coca-Cola and WPP Open X came up with a simple yet innovative way to land this message with the digital-native generation.

Every major brand uses their owned channel, influencers, and paid ads to reach users on the social platform. Yet, Coca-Cola wasn't ready to settle with the expected ad placements available, aiming to find a new white space to own and increase gen Z receptiveness and become the first to use the iconic Weibo eye logo itself. After all, what illustrates feeling sluggish and in need of a break more than a big, drooping eye?

In a world first, WPP Open X led by EssenceMediacom together with Ogilvy and Hogarth, conceptualized Coca-Cola hijacking the Weibo eye logo. When people clicked into Weibo last Thursday, instead of seeing the same logo as the past 14 years, users were greeted by Weibo's drowsy, half-closed eye asking "do you feel in need of a break?" But consumers didn't need to worry as the equally iconic Coca-Cola bottle turned Weibo's droopy eye wide awake!

Sparking a social buzz

People turned to the social platform itself to share their reactions which included comments like "Wicked! certainly a surprising Thursday!" and "For a moment, I thought Weibo was hacked LOL…then I actually went and bought a Coke at the canteen!”

The stunt not only sparked social buzz, but also drove product trial and recruited members to Coke's membership hub thanks to its seamless connected consumer experience. Weibo users could click from Weibo's opening screen to the Coca-Cola CRM hub where they could get coupons for their own refreshing Coke break and register for further updates and rewards.

Within one day, the activation reached over 300 million impressions and over 80K interactions with our core target audience - Gen Z on Weibo. In addition, the number of Coke membership registrations and coupon redemptions in the first 24 hours exceeded our typical weekly benchmark!

"We reminded nearly 150 million, approximately one quarter of young people in China, to take a moment to uplift themselves through a simple yet surprising experience on the biggest social platform in China. This greatly helps the wider campaign, further embedding in consumers' minds to drink Coca-Cola whenever they want to have a break."
Dexter Chen - The IMX Lead from Coca-Cola Trademark, Greater China & Mongolia

Whether the Weibo eye or your own two eyes reading this article, who doesn't need a little upliftment in their day? So, take a break with a bottle of Coke!

About WPP Open X

WPP Open X is an entirely new offering created for The Coca-Cola Company that is integrated at its core and unprecedented in its scale. This industry-leading approach to modern marketing allows for seamless integration of bold ideas and creativity with end-to-end experiences that are informed by data and optimized in real-time. Our work spans across the company’s five-category beverage portfolio in more than 200 regions as well as global tent-pole marketing efforts including FIFA and the Olympics. Open X from WPP provides access to our entire agency network of over 100,000 experts unlocking access to the best talent, capabilities and resources in and outside of WPP. Combining scale and agility, Open X from WPP supercharges creativity and is a multiplier for change and growth.