Coke Launches Virtual Marketing Campaign
- by Tameka Kee , December 6, 2007
The initiative is equal parts new and familiar territory, since CC Metro will replace the current "Coke Studios" mini virtual environment at MyCoke.com, offering MyCoke members upgraded social, gaming and video activities, and access to the entire world of There.com.
MyCoke members will need to download the There.com application to enter the world. After setup, they're transported to the Coke bottle-shaped continent that houses CC Metro. The region includes a 5-story skate park where they can test their "hoverboard" skills, a theater that plays exclusive Coke-sponsored videos and commercials, and a classic diner where members can dance and socialize.
In addition, CC Metro houses a My Coke Rewards store where users can spend their reward points on virtual merchandise. Coca-Cola partnered with Los Angeles-based Imaginary Forces, a leading virtual design firm to develop the look and feel of the branded property.
Though San Mateo-based Makena Technologies, parent company of There.com has been criticized by some for striving to create a "PG-13" or "brand protection-safe" virtual world, according to CEO Michael Wilson, the few ground rules for appropriate content and conduct have created a safer place for both users and advertisers.
"The environment we've created is one of the reasons that There.com's demographics skew younger and more female than some other virtual worlds," said Wilson. "And that safer environment attracts teens and the brands that want to market to them."
With CC Metro, Coca-Cola joins advertisers and media providers like Toyota's Scion, Capitol Music Group and CosmoGIRL that have rolled out campaigns in San Mateo-based Makena Technologies' There.com. Still, the beverage giant hasn't shied away from the more edgy, less brand-safe virtual worlds. In April, the company launched Virtual Thirst, a promo in Linden Lab's Second Life which invited users to design an in-world Coke machine.
