Sprite Yard

Lets see - I belong to

• MySpace
• Tribe
• Live Journal
• Gather
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Blogger
• Yuku Team
• BetaNews
• Netscape

(found Facebook boring)

Naaaaahhhhh Neither I nor the rest of the world has enough social network community memberships -- I NEED more! So you can image how giddy I am at the prospects of Coca-Cola's Sprite social network début with the Sprite Yard... what else could they call it? Sprite Society sounds too upper class or fairy like. Sprite Yard sounds much more like football, soccer and Spice Girls cheer.



The brand's ‘global interactive marketing team’ is betting that the mobile platform will set a new yardstick for consumer brand commitment. Sprite Yard officially opened the community doors in China on June 1st but the US Sprite borders open June 22 and all ya gotta do is text message “YARD” to 59666



666 good choice, that wont have the religious paranoid sweating Coca Cola like a crazy person wearing a parka in the middle of July in Phoenix, Arizona. Just press the Send button and Coca Cola gets your phone number so that they can add you to the Sprite cell phone text advertising membership exclusive list.

5 AM: 1 New Text Message

Wake Up! It's Sprite Time!

Throw on your running shoes!

Grab a Sprite and run! run! run! ... to your nearest computer to sign up Sprite Yard social community, don't forget to add your avatar and send "Shouts" to all of your friends so they too can join the (Longest) Sprite Yard.

But that's not all!

Sprite Yard members will also have access to "Nuggets" of exclusive downloadable content, from mobisodes (short animated and video content created by Coca-Cola and other media partners) and ringtones. Who doesn’t want the Coca-Cola theme song to play every time someone calls you?



The branding tie-in is designed to drive sales through the roof, as content can only be unlocked by using a PIN number found under Sprite bottle caps. Marketing & advertising Genius! You must buy the product to participate in social pressure networking activities and dialogs.

"It's the perfect match for teens and young adults because we can develop content quickly and keep it fresh," said Shelley de Villiers, Coca-Cola's director of global brand management for Sprite. "But it's designed not to be overbranded. We don't want to alienate our teen advocates."

I went to the Coca Cola website
-- it's a pretty nifty site.

However, how do they know Charlotte and Ryan finished a long night of studying with a Powerade? I mean how do they know this?! Did Charlotte and Ryan email coco cola and say

Dear Coca Cola,

I just wanted to let you know that I have nothing better to do than email you to let you know that both my boyfriend and I finished off an entire bottle of Powerade... it was soooooooo romantic. We studied, we made out, we drank from the same bottle of Powerade and than we made out some more.

How did Alex in New York city contact Coca Cola while site seeing and enjoying a delicious can of Full Throttle? Did he use his Blackberry? Did he stop at an internet cafe? Did he send pictures of himself enjoying the delicious can of Full Throttle in front of Trump Towers?

Coca Cola minds want to know.

Do people actually sing the Coca Cola songs? Did Darren and Jumoke from Agadez sing
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
And keep it company


Coca Cola minds want to know!

Coca Cola marketing, advertising and branding is expanding into new realms. Whether it's their pledge to give back and not take so much from third world communities or introducing new communities in cyber space... they are still one of the leaders in popular soda pop drinks and will continue to be so. This is a company that may no longer be innovative, but will keep up with what is innovative and give it their own special twist.