When Coca-Cola's marketers began plotting efforts around this summer's World Cup in Brazil, there was no question a musical anthem would be key to the effort.
Four years ago, the company first experimented with the creation of a song tied to World Cup. The remix of K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag" served to weave together campaign elements and gave the marketer a way to tap into local markets. Twenty-four local versions of the song were created, with local artists singing in their respective languages. "Wavin' Flag" topped iTunes charts in 17 countries and hit the top 20 in two dozen countries, selling more than 2.5 million downloads.
This year's song, "The World Is Ours," boasts 32 versions, with several more expected to debut in the days leading up to kick-off on June 12. Versions have been rolled out over the past nine months, as the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, also sponsored by Coca-Cola, progressed. Emmanuel Seuge, VP-global alliances and ventures at Coca-Cola, said the brand wanted to create a "journey" for "The World Is Ours" to combat the short lifespan many songs are relegated to in the music industry.
Coca-Cola tapped David Correy, a Brazilian who was given up for adoption and raised in Maryland, to sing "The World Is Ours." The brand discovered Mr. Correy, interestingly enough, though the U.S. version of "The X-Factor," which was once sponsored by rival Pepsi. He competed during the show's second season.
"We wanted to find an artist that was up and coming, that was true to Brazil," Mr. Seuge said.
"Each country we went to, we localized the song, brought in a local artist, jointly with David," Mr. Seuge explained. "It feels Brazilian, yet adding a local voice, a local flavor makes it very relevant, very special for each of those local countries."
It's another way the beverage giant has tried to convince its local marketers around to world to buy into the global effort. "The World's Cup" is Coca-Cola's largest campaign to date, with 175 markets, or 85% of its 207 markets, adopting the program. By comparison, 100 markets embraced the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games campaign.
Brazilian percussion ensemble Monobloco worked with Brazilian-born producer Mario Caldato Jr. to record the song's rhythm tracks. Rock Mafia handled the lyrics and melody. The official version features Aloe Blacc, an American singer, and has already reached the Top 10 charts in 40 countries and the Top 100 charts in 80 countries.
