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Coke To Pop Open New Ad Campaign

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The Associated Press

Published: January 22, 2009

NEW YORK - Coca-Cola Co., the world's biggest beverage maker, launched a new global marketing campaign on Wednesday to try to draw consumers back to soft drinks.

The campaign raises the stakes in Coke's competition with rival PepsiCo Inc. Both have increased marketing efforts - changing logos and running more ads - to shift their messages back to soda. They had put greater focus on pricier bottled water, energy drinks and sparkling juice drinks but amid the economic downturn both companies are returning to their roots.

Soda sales fell about 4.8 percent in the United States during the first nine months of last year, notes Beverage Digest editor John Sicher. But Coca-Cola Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent has asserted that soft drinks are key to the company's success, and both Kent and PepsiCo Inc. CEO Indra Nooyi have unveiled rebranding campaigns that, in part, are designed to slow the decline.

"The cola wars are back in high gear," says Sicher.

Coke's new "Open Happiness" ad campaign, tied to its "Coke Side of Life" ad slogan, is scheduled to launch on "American Idol." Ads will continue to show up on TV spots, billboards and in stores over the next few weeks. Part of the campaign includes three ads to run during the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

"A lot of people have left the category," Sicher says. "Also a lot of young people have not entered the category, so these ads may help Coke both recruit new, young consumers and re-recruit some lapsed consumers."

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