• by Aaron Baar , September 11, 2008

Shaken, stirred or fizzy with no calories? The Coca-Cola Co. has set its first deal for a global international promotion for its Coke Zero brand, tying in with the upcoming James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace." 

The tie-in, which will include a marketing campaign executed in 35 markets around the world, is intended to reinforce the brand's masculine positioning, according to Derk Hendricksen, global brand director for Coca-Cola Zero. The cornerstone of the campaign will be a TV and cinema spot created by Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam, Coke Zero's global agency.

The spot begins with the familiar James Bond gun-barrel graphics, showing the super spy as a silhouette walking against a red-and-black background. In the spot, Bond approaches a woman to take the bottle of Coke Zero she's holding. As he runs toward her, the hero, bottle and woman fall into the crevice. The bottle lands back in the woman's hand as she takes off in a sports car. Bond chases after her in a scene meant to evoke the Coca-Cola bottle's contours. After the chase, Bond overpowers several baddies before reaching the girl and the Coke Zero.

Out-of-home and print are simple executions, showing the gun barrel graphic, a silhouette of Bond and a Coke Zero bottle. The ads also use the line: "Real Coke taste. Zero Sugar. It's possible."

"James Bond and the Bond franchise is the longest-running franchise in movie history, and it has global appeal," Coke representative Petro Kacur tells Marketing Daily. "Coke Zero, which is a growing global brand, shares an edgy, masculine positioning with that franchise. It's a great partnership."

The spot also employs a soundtrack composed by Jack White, the leader of notable garage rock band The White Stripes. White originally signed a deal with Coca-Cola to write a song for a Coke Classic commercial in 2005.

Launched in 2005, Coke Zero has been a huge success for Coca-Cola, based on its positioning as a zero-calorie soda that tastes similar to Coca-Cola Classic, says John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest. According to Sicher, Coke Zero was the company's* eighth-biggest brand in the U.S. in 2007, and its volume shipments increased 38%.

"It's one of the few line extensions that's had sustained growth," Sicher tells Marketing Daily. "On its current trajectory, it's going to be a big brand for them over the next few years."

Sicher adds that the movie promotion is a natural tie-in for the Coke Zero brand, noting that Bond's spy code is "Zero, Zero, Seven."

*Editor's note: The story was amended post publication.