Diet Coke Seeks Shop After Parting With Droga5

Coca Cola Co. is looking for a new agency for Diet Coke after recently cutting ties with Droga5. "Several months ago, Diet Coke and Droga5 decided to part ways, and we wish each other continued success," a Coke spokeswoman said in a statement. "The brand will update its agency roster in the future. In the meantime, the Diet Coke 'Get A Taste' ad campaign continues to run in broadcast." A Droga5 spokeswoman referred to the Coke statement. The move comes as the soda marketer continues to implement a global "one-brand" strategy in which multiple Coke varieties are advertised within a single campaign. However, Coca-Cola is expected to continue to run dedicated advertising in the U.S. for Diet Coke where it remains a big, albeit declining, brand. "In North America, Diet Coke has so much equity," Rafael Acevedo, group director for Diet Coke, Coca-Cola North America, told Ad Age earlier this year. "You will continue to see future executions that will be completely based on Diet Coke by itself and communicating its own personality and really connecting with the loyal consumer base that it has." Diet Coke controls a commanding 40.3% dollar share of the diet soda category, according to a recent report from Wells Fargo. But the brand, like most diet sodas, has been struggling. Diet Coke sales fell by 3.2% in the 12-week period ending Sept. 10, according to Wells Fargo. Diet Pepsi, which has 18.6% share, fared much worse, dropping by 10.4% in the 12-week period. Only three of the top nine diet brands grew in the period: Sprite Zero, Diet Canada Dry and Diet Fresca, according to the report. Coca-Cola spent $21.7 million in measured media on Diet Coke in the first six months of the year, according to Kantar Media. The soda got $47.1 million of support for all of 2015 and $44.1 million in 2014. The one-brand strategy began in January with the new product-focused "Taste the Feeling" campaign. Agencies working on the effort include Ogilvy New York, Sra. Rushmore of Madrid, Santo of Buenos Aires and Mercado-McCann of Argentina. Wieden & Kennedy Portland also continues to work on the Coke brand in the U.S. Droga5 won the Diet Coke account in 2014, although it has shared the work with other shops. For instance, CAA Marketing led the TV advertising to support Diet Coke's "It's Mine" program earlier this year, which included dressing cans and bottles in millions of unique, colorful designs. Recently Diet Coke has been running TV spots that Droga5 created in 2015 that are part of the "Get a Taste" campaign the agency launched in 2014. One of the spots airing now is called "Afternoon Delight" and shows an extreme close-up of an icy coke, with a clock showing the time as 3 p.m.

Diet Coke Seeks Shop After Parting With Droga5

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