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Global Ads Spotlight: Here's how Cola-Cola hacked screentime with Alexa skill in KSA
Coca-Cola grabs screen time in Saudi Arabia with a clever Alexa hack that turns movie moments into instant cravings—and conversions. Read and watch in our Global Ads Spotlight column!
Coke catalogued thousands of hours of content and used machine learning to tag every Coke placement—yes, every background bottle and logo flash. (Image credits: VML)
How do you break through a wall built by your fiercest rival, especially when that wall is bright blue and deeply entrenched in culture? If you're Coca-Cola in Saudi Arabia, you don’t just push product—you hack pop culture. Enter “I See Coke,” the brand’s surprisingly clever, tech-meets-TV campaign that just might be the future of interactive advertising.
Let’s break this down: in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pepsi has long been the drink of choice—higher consideration, deeper love, louder spend. Coke? Not that much.
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So the brand got creative and found a way to sneak into Saudi living rooms during their favourite pastime—streaming.
'I See Coke' is an AI-fuelled Alexa skill that listens while you’re watching your favourite shows. Every time Coca-Cola appears on-screen—whether it’s Eleven crushing a can in Stranger Things or Kevin McAllister sipping it in Home Alone 2—Alexa pipes up with a special offer. No app download, no annoying setup. Just "Coke just showed up. Want one?" vibes.
The execution
- Coke catalogued thousands of hours of content and used machine learning to tag every Coke placement—yes, every background bottle and logo flash.
- Alexa gives a unique, show-specific reply (in Arabic and English), making every encounter feel tailored.
- Viewers could instantly claim offers or even get a Coke delivered. Watching became shopping.
The results? Red-hot fizz
- +234% brand awareness
- 96% offer redemption rate
- Most mentioned brand to Alexa (globally)
In a country where e-commerce is still catching up, Coke leapfrogged the logistics and plugged right into an everyday moment—Netflix and chill, meet Coke and click.
Awards:
- Cannes Lions 2024 Shortlist (Commerce & Innovation)
- MENA Effies – Gold in Tech-Enabled Commerce
- D&AD Pencil Nominee – Digital Transformation
Why it worked
Coke didn't just create an ad. It created an experience. It leveraged a century of product placement history, baked it into tech, and made it frictionless. It's smart, it's sneaky (in a good way), and it shows how brands can merge nostalgia with next-gen behaviour to win hearts—and carts.
SPOTLIGHT
At the Storyboard18 DNPA Conclave 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw spotlighted the critical role of traditional media in an evolving digital landscape. He emphasized that such gatherings can aid the govt in formulating more effective policies for a balanced and sustainable media ecosystem.
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