A BRAND DEDICATED TO PUSHING CREATIVE EXCELLENCE

“Creativity has been and always will be at the heart of our brands. It fuels our business.”

Joe Tripodi, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer of The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company won its very first Lion back in 1967. Since then, the global company has thrived at Cannes Lions, picking up over 100 Lions. Now, as the company prepares to accept the Creative Marketer of the Year Award in 2013, we have delved back into our archives to see the work that’s won, and spoken to the company’s senior marketing executives to find out just why the award is so valuable to them.

THE COCA-COLA GRANDS PRIX

“The Coca-Cola Company places a premium on creative excellence. It is simply makes sound business sense.”

Jonathan Mildenhall - VP Global Advertising Strategy & Content Excellence

Despite consistently winning Lions for more than 35 years, The Coca-Cola Company had to wait until 2008 for its first Grand Prix at the Festival. It was in that year that the company picked up the first-ever Design Lions Grand Prix for Turner Duckworth’s innovative visual identity and packaging system that uncluttered the brand and allowed it to return to its roots.

Four years later, the brand picked up another two Grands Prix – in Outdoor for ‘#COKEHANDS’; and in Mobile for its project with Google called ‘Hilltop Re-Imagined For Coca-Cola’ – highlighting how the brand has truly embraced creative excellence across media channels and around the world.

In fact, 2012 was a landmark year for The Coca-Cola Company, as it collected close to 30 Lions at the Festival. This strong performance drove the company to second place in the Cannes Lions ranking of the Most-Awarded Advertisers in 2012.

Looking back at tHE GOLD LIONS

"When looking at its Lion winners, there is the perfect balance between the careful, consistent management of global brands and freedom given to local teams to adapt and innovate for their markets."

Philip Thomas, Chief Executive, Lions Festivals

From traditional TV spots (including one featuring a very young Jesse Eisenberg) to innovative installations and cutting-edge digital executions, the work that The Coca-Cola Company has produced has wowed judges at Cannes Lions. In recent years, the Coca-Cola Company has embraced the true scope offered by creative communications, creating events and experiential products to engage consumers around the world.

Click here to see all the Gold Lions that the company has won since 1990 >>

Creativity and Cannes Lions for Coca-Cola

“The correlation between winning at Cannes and winning in the market place is compelling ... If Cannes has taught me one thing, it is that creativity drives effectiveness. You cannot have one without the other.” Jonathan Mildenhall

The Coca-Cola Company has had a presence at Cannes Lions for several years; not only have the company's agencies won awards at the Festival, but many of Coca-Cola's senior marketers have taken to the stage to share their opinions on why creativity is so important to the company's strategy.

Hear from two of the company's senior marketers - Joe Tripodi and Jonathan Mildenhall - as they talk about Cannes Lions, creativity and the company's communications strategy.