2026 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Coca-Cola and the Real Magic platform have been focused on spreading ‘traditional’ moments joy during the holiday season, but the brand wanted to connect with local communities and celebrate those often overlooked by mainstream holiday celebrations.

The Philippines is the third largest country of origin for immigrants to Canada. Coca-Cola saw an opportunity to grow their relationship with this important community by creating a meaningful brand experience – giving them a culturally rich moment of joy.

The Balikbayan tradition represents the real magic of connection between Filipino’s living abroad and their families back home. The Balikbayan box is more than just a package; it’s a
symbol of this connection.

Local Sari-Sari stores are community hubs where Filipinos purchase items to send back home in Balikbayan boxes, but rising shipping costs were threatening this tradition, and placing a hardship on these community hubs. This presented a unique opportunity for Coca-Cola to connect with the Filipino community by helping alleviate the financial burden, and to celebrate and uplift the Sari-Sari store owners themselves.

The agency didn’t just create a simple out-of-home ad – they created a cultural landmark. They transformed Tita Rosita’s store – one of the oldest Sari-Sari stores in Toronto, into a massive Balikbayan box. This larger-than-life OOH execution became the physical anchor of our cultural experience.

The campaign pushed the boundaries of traditional OOH by transforming Tita Rosita’s store, the oldest Sari-Sari in Toronto, into a massive Balikbayan box. This was an immersive experience and love letter to the community. The store itself became a beacon and a destination for community members. In addition, they offered custom-designed Coca-Cola Balikbayan boxes with prepaid shipping.

The storefront became the backdrop for a heartwarming video celebrating Tita Rosita, a key pillar of the community, who has dedicated herself to bringing the Balikbayan tradition to Canada, and keeping it alive.

The visual impact of Tita Rosita’s store transformation helped drive earned media, and inspired social sharing amongst the community, to further foster community engagement and amplify our message.

This campaign not only forged a stronger relationship with an important community, it drove real results:

The campaign drove a 257% year-over-year increase in Balikbayan-related brand mentions, cementing Coca-Cola’s association with the Balikbayan tradition. It also led to a 33% increase in weekly consumption of Coke products within the Filipino community – 2 times the increase compared to the rest of the general population in Canada.

In terms of reach, the campaign generated 11 million impressions and secured 139 PR placements, achieving widespread media coverage across Canada and the Philippines. It also delivered 8 million video views and 5.9K social hits at an efficient cost of one-third of a cent per view, alongside a 4,000% spike in Google searches in Ontario, demonstrating a significant surge in online interest and making Coca-Cola a prominent part of related searches.

Credits

Debbi Vandeven, Global Chief Creative Officer, VML
Rafael Pitanguy, Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML
Graham Lang, Chief Creative Officer, VML Canada
Andrew Keller, Global Chief Creative Officer, WPP Open X
Antoine Bécotte, Executive Creative Director, VML Canada
Frank Macera, Executive Creative Director, VML Canada
Sasha Ortega, Associate Creative Director, VML Canada
LB Cooper, Associate Creative Director, VML Canada
Jeremy Lenz, Creative Director, VML Canada
Sucheta Shankar, Associate Creative Director, VML Canada
Coralie Adler, Art Director, VML Canada
Sarah Auclair, Copywriter, VML Canada
Philippe Moderie, Copywriter, VML Canada
Sam Bullis, Design Lead, VML Canada
Jennifer Yoon, Senior Designer, VML Canada
Steve Emmens, SVP, Head of Production, VML Canada
Chris Esguerra, Senior Integrated Producer, VML Canada
Eric Thompson, Editor, VML Canada
Heather Hyland, Senior Broadcast Producer, VML Canada
Chase Cornett, Global Chief Strategy Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, VML
Christine Maw, Chief Strategy Officer, VML Canada
Lizzie Dabous , VP, Strategy, VML Canada
Jeremy Singer , Strategy Director, VML Canada
Larissa Vompa, Strategist, VML Canada
Stephanie DeCelles, Global Client Lead, The Coca-Cola Company, VML
Emma Toth, Chief Client Officer, VML Canada
Maxime Mercier, Managing Director, VML Canada
Louthiern Bonsart, Managing Director, VML Canada
Camille Joly, Account Director, VML Canada
Gabriel Trépanier, Account Supervisor, VML Canada
Nicolas Laurin, Account Manager, VML Canada
Public Relations, Weber Shandwick
Production House,, MOWAD
Sound and Music, TA2 Sound+Music
Post Production, School Editing
Manolo Arroyo, Global Chief Marketing Officer, The Coca-Cola Company
Stephanie Eaddy, Senior Director, Multicultural Marketing North America, The Coca-Cola Company
Solange Grimard, Senior Integrated Manager, The Coca-Cola Company
Stephanie Knowles, Integrated The Coca-Cola Company