Coca-Cola Middle East is combining Coke’s pop-culture reach with machine learning in a new “I See Coke” campaign in Saudi Arabia, which bridges Amazon Alexa’s recently launched Khaleeji Arabic language capability with the in-home TV-watching experience.

Starting this week, Saudi consumers will receive a discount voucher for a Coke if they spot the soft drink in a movie or TV show they’re watching, and then tell Alexa.

The activation is anchored in tech from WPP’s Open X unit with creative development by VMLY&R Commerce. It works like this: The agency used AI to identify Coke product placements in thousands of hours of entertainment content and built a database of Coke cameos. So, when a user says, “Alexa, I see Coke,” the device will reply, “Where do you see it?” When the user names the movie or TV show, Alexa will give a witty reply—assuming the movie or show is in the database—along with the product offer.

For example, if the user says “Home Alone,” Alexa will reply: “OK, Kevin! Here's a Coke to keep you company while your parents come back.” It will then deliver a discount code available for immediate use at e-retailer, Nana. (Coke actually appears in “Home Alone 2,” but the creatives felt viewers would probably just say “Home Alone.”)

The video above gives a few clues about entertainment that features Coke. (Yes, King Kong from 1933 did include a shot of a Coca-Cola billboard in Times Square.) More clues can be found on the Coca-Cola Middle East Instagram. 

The movie list includes Ghostbusters (Alexa quip: “Who you gonna call? ... to share this Coke with?”), Jaws (“You’d better skip the swim and enjoy an ice cold Coca-Cola”), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (“Your spidey senses for Coca-Cola are keen”), Terminator (“I’ll be back ... with a Coke”), Inception (“I’m in sleep mode having a dream within a dream about Coca-Cola”), Pulp Fiction, ET and Rocky. The list of TV shows includes, of course, Stranger Things.

The Amazon skill doesn't need downloading—it’s a native skill that can be prompted by anyone. The MENA team at VMLY&R Commerce worked with Amazon to build it, and then developed it internally via its global Innovation Lab. The agency is continuing to build the database of movies and shows.

“We are not only creating a fun and engaging experience for consumers, but we are also opening new routes to market with a creative commerce solution,” said Santiago Cony Etchart, creative strategy director at The Coca-Cola Company Eurasia and Middle East. 

“As voice AI commerce takes off, the launch of Alexa’s capability in Khaleeji Arabic in Saudi Arabia was the perfect opportunity to do that with a little touch of magic, where product placement meets convenience of purchase," said Leila Katrib, executive creative director at VMLY&R Commerce Dubai. 

“I See Coke” will tap the influencer market in Saudi Arabia to spread word of the initiative. 

“We will continue to provide our customers in Saudi Arabia a fully localized experience that will make their homes come to life with smart-home devices and access to interactive fun experiences for all the family members,” said Dr. Raf Fatani, regional general manager, Alexa MENA, at Amazon.