Submitted by OgilvyAgency IPI Score 95/100

Bubbles

PR & Communications

Ogilvy Dubai tied Coca-Cola to the reopening of public entertainment in Saudi Arabia with a PR-led print and outdoor campaign that turned crowds into the drink's bubbles.

Case in 60 seconds

Coca-Cola wanted to reinforce its association with sports and live entertainment in the Middle East at a moment of major cultural change.

Saudi Arabia had lifted long-standing bans on cinemas, concerts, and women attending stadiums, so the feeling of being in a crowd at a cultural event was genuinely new again, and as familiar as the taste of Coca-Cola.

Position Coca-Cola as a natural companion to these newly accessible moments by linking the feeling of being part of a crowd to the taste of the drink.

Ogilvy Dubai delivered the work as PR, with print and outdoor executions in which crowds of people form the bubbles inside Coke cups, glasses, and bottles.

No quantitative results are reported on the agency's page; the work is described as reinforcing Coca-Cola's role in Middle East entertainment culture during a period of social change.

Strategy Breakdown

The primary strategy-learning section — interpretation, not a press-release summary.

Middle East audiences, particularly in Saudi Arabia, who were experiencing public cinemas, concerts, and stadium events for the first time in years.
Public entertainment had been restricted for decades and was suddenly reopening, making the shared experience of a crowd both new and emotionally charged.
Coca-Cola needed to feel like a natural part of these moments rather than a bystander to a fast-moving cultural change.
Coca-Cola positioned itself as an integral part of enjoying sports and entertainment, the familiar companion to the feeling of being in a crowd.
The feeling of being part of a crowd at a live event is as familiar as the taste of Coca-Cola, so linking the two lets the brand borrow the emotional charge of a cultural reopening.

Creative & Execution System

Assets & channels

  • Print executions
  • Outdoor / out-of-home executions
  • PR narrative

Partners

  • Ogilvy (Memac Ogilvy Dubai)

Participation mechanic

  • Not disclosed

Creator role

  • Not disclosed

Why Ogilvy's strategy worked

  1. 1

    Anchoring a heritage brand to a genuine, timely cultural shift gave the work relevance and news value.

  2. 2

    Linking an emotional truth, the feeling of being in a crowd, to a familiar product truth, the taste of Coca-Cola, made the association feel natural.

  3. 3

    A PR-led approach let the campaign ride a widely covered cultural moment rather than relying on paid reach alone.

  4. 4

    Simple, striking print and outdoor art direction, crowds as bubbles, carried the idea in a single image.

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