Diet Coke was introduced in the US in August 1992 and the following year in the UK and Europe. The brand's UK marketing team is celebrating its British 30th birthday with a bit of a hen party — by bringing back one of its iconic campaigns, the hunk. See the teaser for its new campaign breaking Monday (update: watch it here), and its inspiration (the 1997 "Window Washer" commercial starring Robert Merrill), below.Continue reading...

Following the US TV debut of its anti-obesity campaign on cable news networks Monday night, Coca-Cola revealed its new anti-obesity commercial in primetime broadcast TV, with the "Be OK" 30-second commercial (watch below) debuting on FOX's American Idol Wednesday evening and shared on Twitter. According to the Associated Press, this latest commercial will also run before the Super Bowl on CBS.

The spot aims to debunk notions that a can of Coke is high-calorie, with the message that one can of Coke "= 140 happy calories to spend on extra happy activities: 25 minutes of letting your dog be your GPS + 10 minutes of letting your body do the talking [shown over dancing] + 75 seconds of laughing out loud + 1 victory dance. Coca-Cola: 140 calories."Continue reading...

The Coca-Cola Company on Monday evening began airing a two-minute spot (watch below) on U.S. cable news networks. The subject, in a first for the company: America's obesity debate, in a bid to defend its brands ahead of looming beverage size controls in New York City and Cambridge, Mass.

The world's biggest beverage company debuted the "Coming Together" commercial during a prime-time ad buy on the highest-rated shows on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC "in hopes of flexing its marketing muscle in the debate over sodas and their impact on public health," the Associated Press reported. The theme ties into the company's "Live Positively" and "Open Happiness" campaigns.

"The well-being of our families and communities concerns everyone," Coca-Cola describes the spot. "And finding a solution will take continued effort from all of us. Watch to learn more about how we can all make a real difference. At Coca-Cola, we believe when people come together good things happen." A URL at the end of the spot promotes a website, coca-cola.com/cometogether, for more information.Continue reading...

Coca-Cola is capping its London 2012 Olympics sponsorship with its biggest giveaway ever in the U.K., where it's also sponsoring the 2012 Paralympic Games.

The soft drink giant is running a one-day promotion, Monday Sept. 3rd only, giving away 500ml bottles of Coca-Cola, Coke Zero or Diet Coke at Boots and Superdrug stores to those who register first online. It's being promoted with a 100-foot tall vending machine in London's Brick Lane, as you can see in the TV spot which features "Anywhere in the World," the brand's original London 2012 song created by producer Mark Ronson.

As part of its top-tier Olympics sponsorship, Coca-Cola underwrote the London Olympics torch relay and launched "Move to the Beat," a music-based global marketing platform, in addition to installing a giant interactive Beatbox pavilion at the London Olympics site.

Coca-Cola's Diet Coke sugar-free soft drink launched in the U.S. 30 years ago — on Aug. 9th, 1982, to be exact.

As Coca-Cola's Diet Coke brand page notes, "Within two years, Diet Coke had become the top diet soft drink in the world, a position the brand maintains today. Known as Coca-Cola light in some countries, it's now the No. 3 soft drink in the world" — following Pepsi at #2, and Coke at #1.

The brand celebrated by hosting 30-second parties for a few of its "biggest fans" who sent birthday wishes using the Twitter hashtag #DietCokeBday — check out a few of their reactions below — while The Guardian took a look this week at the beverage's "enduring appeal."Continue reading...

PepsiCo executives were assailed for having let Diet Coke usurp their flagship brand to take second place, behind Coca-Cola, in U.S. soft drink sales in 2011. How they marketed — or, rather, didn't market — Pepsi was flagged by some observers as part of the problem.

Well, the company got the message. And among the many recent indicators of that — including Pepsi's major sponsorship of The X Factor, its endorsement relationship with Nicki Minaj, and the shaking up of its upper management under CEO Indra Nooyi — may be that, when Super Bowl XLVII reaches halftime on February 3 at the Superdome in New Orleans, Pepsi today confirmed reports that it's taking over as sponsor of the iconic halftime show.

"Pepsi's deep-rooted heritage with the Super Bowl and with music truly makes this relationship a natural fit," Adam Harter, PepsiCo Beverages' VP of consumer engagement, said in a press release. "As the most-watched and highly anticipated entertainment event of the year, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is right at the heart of sports and music."Continue reading...

Apple pays $60M to end iPad trademark dispute in China, looks to secure ipad3.com domain.

Barclays scandal forces out chairman, saying "the buck stops with me."

Bristol-Myers agrees to buy Amylin Pharmaceuticals for $5B in cash, expands diabetes alliance.

Rupert Murdoch will rebrand the Wall Street Journal as WSJ as part of News Corp. split.

AMC parent ends AT&T U-verse TV dispute with long-term agreement, as Dish feud continues.

Applebee's rolls out fresh menu, look and campaign.Continue reading...

PepsiCo and Twitter today announced a global music partnership, boosting Pepsi's music-based "Live for Now" marketing platform with Twitter campaigns to drive awareness and traffic to Pepsi's Live for Now music ambassadors such as Katy Perry.

The year-long deal between PepsiCo and Twitter includes a weekly music-oriented video series (watch episode one above) offering an overview of the artists (such as Katy Perry), music and music news trending that week on Twitter. Also on offer: Free music downloads (starting at 1pm ET today), plus weekly tweets from @pepsi about current music and free downloads from the Amazon.com MP3 Store to consumers who follow @pepsi and include the hashtag #PepsiMusicNOW. 

The partnership will also help spread the word about Pepsi's pop-up U.S. concert series this summer and fall. They will be announced first on Twitter and streamed live through Pepsi’s Twitter page and on PepsiPulse.com to fans everywhere.Continue reading...