Coca-Cola has launched a major advertising campaign across the Middle East featuring Egyptian acting legend Omar Sharif.
With Sharif starring alongside Saudi footballer Yasser Qahtani and Lebanese-born Canadian musician Karl Wolf, the celebrity-led campaign is being rolled out across the GCC, Iraq, Jordan and Palestine. Called ‘Brrr’, the drive is an extension of Coca-Cola’s activities in other parts of the world, with the ‘Brrr’ concept first launched in Africa. It is the first time the concept has been launched in the Middle East, with the regional creative produced by FP7/DXB. ‘Brrr’ is designed to demonstrate the feeling you have when you drink a Coke.
The campaign features TV spots on channels such as MBC and Rotana, outdoor, in-store executions, joint partnerships with Ski Dubai and ice rinks in Qatar, a sampling drive, and online activity via Facebook and YouTube.
“We intend ‘Brrr’ to become a buzz word with the youth,” said Tolga Cebe, regional marketing manager at Coca-Cola Middle East. “Therefore, we have chosen celebrities they aspire to. Hence, knowing that football and music are key passion points with youth, we chose Yasser for football and Karl for music. The choice of Omar Sharif has an interesting background. Our research showed that some people would feel shy of doing ‘Brrr’. Therefore, we wanted a respected celebrity to ‘Brrr’. Omar Sharif being an icon of arts and culture in Arabia, was the perfect choice. He loved the idea as well and hence we formed our partnership.”
The campaign is part of Coca-Cola’s refreshment drive, which is one of the key purchase drivers for the brand. The launch has been timed to coincide with the heat of summer.