Coke has a long history of sponsoring various athletes, but the Coke and FIFA partnership marks a first for the cola company, as it embarks on branding within the virtual world.
In the upcoming EA FIFA 18 game for Playstation 4, Coke will be sponsoring Alex Hunter, a fictional soccer star, who recently signed a deal to shoot a commercial with the cola company. Coke and EA Sports even created a fake Twitter account for the rising star, which currently has 49,900 followers. The fictional beverage commercial will air during the various virtual soccer games, adding a more immersive element of authenticity to the video game. The beverage company stated its aim was to “try to blur lines between reality and the virtual world."
Through this re-imagined advertising platform, Coca-Cola is able to reach a multi-dimensional demographic of consumers.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Virtual Sponsorship
- Virtual sponsorships provide opportunities for brands to reach consumers in the virtual world, blurring the lines between reality and the digital realm.
- Immersive Advertising
- Immersive advertising adds authenticity and engagement to video games, creating new opportunities for brands to connect with gamers.
- Fictional Brand Partnerships
- Fictional brand partnerships allow companies to leverage popular virtual characters and expand brand awareness in innovative ways.
Where This Applies
- Gaming
- The gaming industry can capitalize on virtual sponsorships to monetize their games and enhance the gaming experience for players.
- Beverage
- The beverage industry can explore immersive advertising in video games to promote their products and engage with a new audience.
- Virtual Reality
- The virtual reality industry can collaborate with brands to create immersive branded experiences within virtual worlds, opening up new revenue streams.
