Dive Brief:
- Coca-Cola’s “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” platform is returning for fall football season with a campaign spanning TV ads, social content, personalized packaging and a new fantasy sports integration, according to a press release.
- For its social-first approach, Coke will work with creators at partner colleges around the country to produce content around events like games and tailgates. The soft drink marketer is also undertaking a 74-stop tour to bring locally inspired experiences to campuses.
- The news marks Coke’s first tie-up with Yahoo Sports College Fantasy Football as the brand seeks to engage people who track their teams’ performance throughout the season. Coke’s sports marketing bets so far this year, including extensive World Cup activations, have helped generate engagement and deepen customer insights, the company has said.
Dive Insight:
After a brief respite following World Cup mania, Coke is again revving up its sports marketing engine as attention turns toward American football and the back-to-school rush. The beverage giant is updating its “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” platform, with a spotlight on social-first creator content, fantasy sports and personalized experiences tailored to an array of colleges and teams, including during the Coca-Cola Bowl Season schedule.
Coke introduced “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” around the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament in 2024, and the brand platform has broadened in scale and reach since, factoring into its college football efforts for the past three years. A representative for Coke declined to share specific media investment figures but said “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” has an expanded presence in 2026.
The latest "Thirsty Work” output iterates on creative that depicts a variety of fans roaring in celebration while watching games at stadiums, home and job sites. New “Scream” ads appear in 30- and 15-second versions while the full integrated campaign encompasses TV, social, digital, experiential, retail, e-commerce and public relations.
WPP’s bespoke unit for Coke, Open X, developed the concept, which was led by VML with support from Ogilvy, WPP Production and Cartwright. Zeno Group, Publicis, DJA, Razorfish, Momentum and Article 41 also worked on the campaign.
In addition to the spots, Coke will have a presence on Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff program and will sponsor postseason games through Coca‑Cola Bowl Season. Coke was named the first title sponsor of Bowl Season in November as part of a multiyear deal. Pepsi, Coke’s chief rival, is an official NFL partner, creating a competitive fall window where Coke has placed emphasis on the collegiate set.
Other bids at reaching fans include the wide-ranging campus tour and new packaging customized to 13 college and 12 professional football teams. The promotional products, which will be available in select markets, can be scanned to access team-focused experiences and the chance to win rewards such as game tickets, merchandise and digital gift cards.
“Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” echoes aspects of Coke’s World Cup strategy, balancing large-scale, anthemic advertising depicting fan excitement and nail-biter moments with more personalized activations based on different localities.
Coke’s personalization bids paid off for the global soccer tournament earlier this summer, which contributed to 5% volume growth for the brand in Q2 — the metric’s strongest performance in 17 years when stripping out the pandemic recovery period. Digital and social media activations tied to the World Cup, which Coke sponsors, also generated more than 9 billion views.
