Coca-Cola launches global Christmas 2020 campaign to celebrate the gift of presence

The campaign uses festive icons such as the Sundblom Santa Claus and the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck to convey a message of hope amidst the challenges of 2020.

In a year when the world needs Christmas cheer more than ever, Coca-Cola is celebrating the gift of presence – over presents – through a seasonal global campaign launching in 90-plus countries including the US for 2020.

The campaign’s creative centrepiece is a cinematic ad titled 'The Letter', which captures a loving father’s epic journey to the North Pole to make his daughter’s Christmas wish come true. Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi directed the spot in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy London.

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Walter Susini, SVP of marketing for Coca-Cola Europe, hopes the campaign will promote unity and uplift during such a unique holiday season, as the world continues to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s campaign puts family, community, and appreciation front and centre, recognizing that the real magic of Christmas is connecting with one another – virtually or in person. “Physical distance doesn’t mean we can’t be present,” Susini said. “With the pandemic, we’ve seen how we are able to use technology to great effect to connect with those we love. We have opened our eyes this year to the fact that time is the most precious thing of all, no matter what form that may be in.”

Creativity During COVID-19 

The film was shot over five days in August in Waititi’s home country of New Zealand. Coca-Cola and Wieden+Kennedy London staffed the project entirely with local actors and production crews, eliminating the need for international travel. Strict COVID-19 protocols were followed to ensure the safety of everyone onsite, and team members in Los Angeles, London, and Madrid tuned in to the shoot via Zoom and shared feedback in real-time. 

The spot will be available in a long-form (2:30) cut, as well as 60-, 30- and 20-second edits. More than 90 markets – the most ever for a Coca-Cola holiday campaign – are supporting this year’s program, which also includes seasonal packaging, out-of-home and social media creative, and a digital calendar with 'doors of opportunities' bringing people together with incentives like movie tickets and meal vouchers.