ATLANTA, GA. (Top40 Charts/ Coca-Cola Company) - The Coca-Cola Company and Warner
Music Group's Atlantic Records have come together to record and release a new song featuring some of the hottest acts from the worlds of rock, pop and hip hop.
Launching today, the track will accompany the third in the Coca-Cola 'Happiness Factory' series of commercials, and uses the 5-note melody made famous by the ads. Titled 'Open Happiness', the single features the combined talents of Cee-Lo Green, Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, Brendon Urie from Panic at the Disco, Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes and acclaimed, Grammy nominated songstress Janelle Monae. The song reflects the spirit of positivity, optimism and fun expressed in 'Open Happiness,' the new global integrated marketing campaign for brand Coca-Cola.
Two superstar producers; Butch Walker (who co-wrote the track with Cee-Lo Green) and Polow Da Don produced the musical collaboration. These award-winning producers have set out to mix their worlds of rock and hip-hop and create a really cutting edge sound that brings the Open Happiness campaign to life.
The super producers have been responsible for some of the most popular music of recent years and between them have worked with acts such as Usher, Kelis, Pink, Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry.
'Adding a musical element to our popular Happiness Factory franchise is a natural progression to really making it a trans-media property,' said Umut Ozaydinli, global music marketing manager, The Coca-Cola Company. 'Working with established artists like Cee-Lo Green and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy and up and coming artists like Janelle Monae really brings together a unique mix of genres of music. Our new campaign is all about inviting people to share a little happiness and enjoy life's simple pleasures. We believe that, through the use of music, we are able to enhance this message and help people to connect and have fun with the campaign.'
'Coca-Cola is such an iconic brand around the world with a rich history of quality and integrity,' stated Camille Hackney, SVP, Brand Partnership and Commercial Licensing, Atlantic Records. 'At Atlantic we strive to create career artists who make music with worldwide resonance. The pairing of the artists on this song with the Coke brand is a perfect match and we anticipate it being a huge global success.'
Music will be embedded into the Open Happiness campaign. The track will appear as the soundtrack to the new Happiness Factory TVC and be utilized as a vehicle outside of traditional advertising. In addition, a percentage of the single sales will be donated to charitable causes through the Company's 'Live Positively' platform.
Commented Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, 'I think Coke reaching out to up-and-coming and established artists is a really good move - everyone comes out a winner. We as artists get to collaborate with people we look up to and Coca-Cola gets a fresh new song that I think people are going to be really receptive to.'
Added Cee-Lo Green, 'I guess what was interesting about the idea at first was Coca-Cola's interest in me - that was appealing. Music's marketplace can be very fickle and unforgiving and if you want longevity and you want legend, who better to ask advice from than Coca-Cola?'
The single release will be supported by a huge global push, including:
* A global MySpace premiere of the track will allow consumers all over the world to access this unique collaboration for the first time beginning March 16th at www.myspace.com/openhappiness.
* The track will be released for sale on iTunes, with an exclusive bundle featuring a 'making of' video.
* 200 million Coca-Cola packs in Great Britain and France alone will include mention of the Open Happiness single.
* A music video of the track, featuring the artists and directed by award winning director Alan Ferguson, will premiere globally in May.
* The track will be integrated into Coca-Cola brand marketing efforts on radio and online, including with the 3.2 million fans of Coke on Facebook.
* World famous Coca-Cola signs in London's Piccadilly Circus and New York's Time Square will be utilized to promote the Open Happiness single.
Open Happiness builds on the award-winning Coke Side of Life campaign and will serve as the platform for all integrated marketing for brand Coca-Cola globally. The campaign launched first, in the US in January, with print, outdoor and TV. The fully integrated campaign - including new point of sale, promotions, outdoor and print advertising, digital and music components and more - will roll out throughout the first half of 2009 in markets around the world.
