Dive Brief:

• Coca-Cola is extending its partnership with Disney via ads, collectible bottles and augmented reality (AR) activations themed around “Star Wars,” according to a press release.
• A new spot, “Refresh Your Galaxy,” shows cosplaying fans making the most of a screening gone wrong by reenacting key moments from the franchise. Ads and cans also display a QR code that can be scanned to access an AR experience that lets consumers record and share holographic messages.
• Beginning this month, Coke will sell 27 limited-edition cans and bottles with iconic characters from the franchise, while an additional three will be exclusive to Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. The timing aligns with the ramp up in summer travel and as “Star Wars” again lands in the cultural conversation.

Dive Insight:

Coke is appealing to “Star Wars” diehards with a campaign that features ample references to the long-running space opera, collectible products and an element of personalization through the AR-driven hologram experience. The soft drink brand, which has worked with Disney for 70 years, is capitalizing on summer travel demand and renewed discussion around “Star Wars” thanks to well-received franchise extensions like the streaming show “Andor,” which recently completed its second season.

In the “Refresh Your Galaxy” creative, fans dressed as their favorite characters attend a movie marathon of “Star Wars,” walking through a theater concessions area that resembles the Mos Eisley cantina and eventually settling in to watch “A New Hope” from 1977. The reel breaks during the climatic battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, a moment that initially feels disappointing before two people dressed as the Jedi hero and his mentee-turned-archnemesis complete the duel, inspiring others in the audience to reenact key scenes from the series. 

“Refresh Your Galaxy,” which was made by WPP’s bespoke Open X agency for Coke in collaboration with Disney, is running in a long-form version, along with 60- and 30-second cutdowns.

The AR element is another way to let fans place themselves in a galaxy far, far away, emulating the hologram transmissions that frequently appear as a communication device in the franchise. Coke has been prioritizing personalization through on-pack promotions lately, including by bringing back its “Share a Coke” campaign in the spring, inclusive of QR code-enabled digital experiences. 

In addition, the campaign capitalizes on a booming market for collectibles through the bottles and cans bearing profiles of iconic characters including Yoda, Obi-Wan, Cassian Andor and Luke Skywalker. The three products exclusive to Disney resorts show The Mandalorian and Grogu, a.k.a. Baby Yoda, a First Order Stormtrooper and Chewbacca.