Time for some #CokeNawaazi

Coca-Cola has launched its new campaign #CokeNawaazi, to engage with fans on the online social network.

The traditional tea and coffee, which top the list of refreshments offered to guests in most households, has now a serious competitor in Coca Cola.

The aerated beverage has launched #CokeNawaazi, a 'Facebook only' campaign in order to interact better with its numerous fans. The campaign began with a series of posts that talked about the various challenges of 'Mehmaan Nawaazi', in terms of what to serve guests, how to ensure variety, and offer the right refreshments. The simple creatives were set against Coke's classic red background.

Following the teasers, short videos were rolled out which depicted the various ways in which one can do some Coke Nawaazi, namely, Kitty Party wali Coke Nawaazi, Patiyale, Mumbai and Rajasthan wali Coke Nawaazi, Diwali, cricket, and, most recently, Birthday wali Coke Nawaazi.

The ads try to establish Coke as the easy, quick and universally loved alternative to traditional beverages. However, this is not the first such attempt on the part of Coke. The brand has tried to drive home this point with the Indian consumers ever since the launch of its '
Formality Hatao, Coca-Cola pilao
' campaign in 2014. Conceptualised by McCann, the ad depicted the increasing acceptance of the carbonated beverage among the elder consumers by weaving the concept into a progressive story-line.

This year, around the festive season, Coca-Cola rolled out another
TVC, featuring brand ambassador Alia Bhatt
. Directed at helping the brand target in-home consumption for the category, it has used festivals as consumption occasions. Interestingly, the brand's objective to take over the traditional mehamaan nawaazi becomes increasingly obvious with successive campaigns. While the first in the series challenged the regular tea and coffee, the latest ad featuring Alia Bhatt, projected Coke as the preferred alternative over their (tea, coffee) modern counterparts like cappuccino, lime-soda and iced-tea.

With Coke Nawaazi, the brand goes a step ahead to invade not just the consumer's mindscape, but the country's cultural landscape as well. The digital videos depict how the product complements regional snacks and food, while showcasing its popularity across Indian states.

Coca-Cola, with over 90 million followers, is among the most engaged brands on Facebook globally. Understandably, it has often used the platform as the primary medium to communicate with its audience.

Campaign Nawaazi...

Not convinced with the concept of Coke Nawaazi, Sabuj Sengupta, ECD, Hakuhodo Percept, says, "Consumers are not that gullible anymore. They are pretty clear about how healthy coke is. Coke cans used to be a part of Diwali gifts, now they are being replaced by juices and other beverages. I am not sure how successful this campaign will be."

He is not impressed by the campaign execution and compares the creatives to a 'power point slide'. "While the intent is right, the lack of an idea makes the work boring. A 'Facebook only' strategy is a great idea, but it needs to be supported with a great thought too," he adds.