Evolution of Fanta "Less Serious" Campaign Provides Flexible Platform to Reach Teens Across Diverse Global Markets

Fanta “Less Serious” Delivers a Flexible, Less Serious Approach in 190 Countries Worldwide

Fanta Campaign Makes U.S. Debut on American Idol® on March 30

ATLANTA - Fanta creates more play for consumers with the brand’s most unified and largest global marketing campaign to date. “Less Serious,” launched in 2007, will now reach teens and moms worldwide in regions representing 90 percent of the brand’s global sales volume in 2011. The evolution of the “Less Serious” campaign provides a flexible marketing platform that addresses needs of different markets while being fully integrated through one core creative idea. The fun has started in many markets around the world and will kick off in the United States on March 30, 2011, with the broadcast debut of Fanta’s “Chase” commercial on “American Idol” on FOX.

The “Less Serious” campaign has been implemented on a regional basis for several years in markets including Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

“Moving to one consistent global marketing platform is a strategic and necessary progression for a brand with Fanta’s international footprint,” said Joe Tripodi, executive vice president and chief marketing & commercial officer of The Coca-Cola Company. “At the same time we’ve developed a platform that is flexible enough to address specific business needs for the brand in different markets. This continued evolution with Fanta ’Less Serious’ demonstrates our commitment to marketing productivity.”

To capture Fanta’s diverse consumer group, “Less Serious” will be rolled out with a flexible approach that allows each market to choose from three marketing focuses -- communicating the product’s irresistible taste, the brand’s less serious attitude, or new product news. Each of the marketing components maintain the same overarching theme featuring bubbly animated characters as the catalyst to bring more play and a less serious attitude to life. This strategy will deliver a consistent message on a global scale, while the flexible elements help achieve and maintain local relevance.

“One of the many great things about this campaign is that it appeals to the entire family. It has the flexibility to communicate the great taste of Fanta in a fun way and to convey the things about the brand that we know families already love - 100 percent natural flavors, caffeine free and fruity fun,” Caren Pasquale Seckler, Vice President, Flavor Brands Portfolio, Coca-Cola North America. “The characters featured in the new campaign encourage people to have more Fanta and be less serious. They represent the brand’s carefree attitude and cool-vibe persona that appeals perfectly to teens.”

The campaign continues to build on rich visuals and animation featuring a production quality that approaches the level of artistic detail found in the most sophisticated animated films. The central animated characters each have their own unique personalities to help teens relate on a personal level. For example, the character Tristan is creative and street smart, but also mischievous and sarcastic, while Ginger is sophisticated, fashionable and attractive, but is only interested in people who strive to achieve the most fun out of life. The combination of the diverse personalities communicates teens’ universal need to have fun and showcases play as a fundamental need in human society.

The campaign was created in partnership with creative agency Ogilvy & Mather and Psyop, an animation shop and the creators of Coca-Cola’s Happiness Factory. Global research was conducted to define the most effective way to universally reach teens. Through state-of-the-art animated teen characters, Fanta will work to encourage moms and teens to be less serious and keep playing through interactive traditional and non traditional marketing efforts including broadcast commercials, print and out-of-home advertisements, mobile ringtones, websites, digital banners, and in-store displays. More than 100 markets will use the same universal website design, found at www.Fanta.com, to ensure that wherever teens go in the digital/mobile landscape they will experience the same encouragement to be “less serious.”

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola®, the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio features 14 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®, vitaminwater®, Powerade®, Minute Maid®, Simply® and Georgia®. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.