Happiness for Coca Cola

Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes, Panic At the Disco, Cee Lo and Janelle Monae have collaborated on a new track as part of Coca Cola’s Happiness Factor Three commercial campaign.

The track, entitled Open Happiness  will be released by Atlantic in March to tie in with a wider campaign that will see the featured artists appear on 20 billion cans of the soft drink globally.

According to Coca Cola global marketing manager, sports and entertainment marketing, Umut Ozaydini, the song is  an attempt to reflect the optimism of Coke as a brand. “We wanted to use music as a key factor of this programme and push our message of uplift and optimism,” He added. “The record industry seems like it needs an uplift.”

In the UK and France, the artists will feature on 200 million packs and there will also be a related TV campaign. “As a brand we feel we might be able to take the artists to the next level,” Ozaydini adds.

Ozaydini went on to link the song to the spirit of optimism generated by Barack Obama’s inauguration as US president.

Vice president of the Brand Asset Group, Joe Belliotti,  which put the deal together, said that he considered the project a success already, as the artists are proud of the song, while Coke is behind something creative.

However, the song – a saccharine affair, with rather banal lyrics – received its global premiere at Midem and received a muted reception from the crowd. Delegates were left questioning why Coke was working with such established artists, rather than using its power to push new acts as they have been doing via there web site.

http://www.music.coca-cola.com