Through a new phase of its collaboration with the Premier League, Coca-Cola launched a major nationwide OOH and DOOH campaign across the United Kingdom under the slogan “Time for a Coke”, transforming city centres, railway stations, busy streets and stadiums into an extension of the atmosphere surrounding football matchdays.
The campaign includes takeovers at some of the UK’s most visible locations, including London’s Piccadilly Lights, as well as stadium activations outside the clubs sponsored by Coca-Cola, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Manchester United.
The visuals combine the brand’s recognizable aesthetic with raw reactions from fans and players, focusing on moments of nerves, anticipation, frustration, euphoria and adrenaline that define the experience of following football. Instead of classic sports hero shots or focusing exclusively on victory, the campaign attempts to communicate the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies every major football moment.
This is also part of a broader trend that has become increasingly visible in sports marketing in recent years. Brands are no longer trying simply to be present alongside sport, but to become part of the audience’s emotional ritual. In the case of Coca-Cola, the focus is not on the product itself, but on the idea that “Time for a Coke” is an integral part of watching matches together, going to the stadium, pub culture and the collective fan experience.
The campaign was developed by WPP Open X under the leadership of Ogilvy UK, with support from WPP Media and VML. The activations are part of a broader integrated strategy that also includes social media, as well as TV idents broadcast during sports coverage on platforms such as Sky Sports.
Justin Martin, Creative Strategy Director at The Coca-Cola Company, stated that the goal of the campaign was to portray the full emotional intensity of football, including both its highs and lows. “Football is a whirlwind of hope, nerves and euphoria. We’re celebrating the emotional intensity, including the lows as well as the highs, of the Premier League that lives in stadiums, pubs and living rooms up and down the country. As official Soft Drink Partner of the Premier League, we wanted to give fans a campaign that feels as big and as alive as football itself”, said Martin.
The Coca-Cola Company is the official Soft Drink Partner of the Premier League under a partnership that runs until May 2028.
