COCA COLA | A Rainbow for the Rainbow Nation | 2014
We made a rainbow. / Coca-Cola "A Rainbow for the Rainbow Nation"
In 2014, South Africa marked 20 years since the end of apartheid. Coca-Cola made a rainbow. Not as a figure of speech — they made an actual rainbow appear in the sky over Johannesburg.
The problem
In 1994, Archbishop Desmond Tutu called South Africa the "Rainbow Nation." With Freedom Day 2014 approaching, Coca-Cola was looking for something to celebrate those 20 years. As a symbol of diversity, nothing fit better than a rainbow.
The insight
FCB South Africa decided not to simply show a rainbow, but to make one. Not use an image of it, but actually create it. Through 54 international phone calls, 412 emails, and the involvement of 12 scientists, they found their way to an American artist who called himself a "rainbow maker."
The idea
By spraying a mist of recycled water from rooftops and catching the sunlight at just the right angle, they created a real rainbow visible across the whole city. The creative director, Jonathan Deeb, said: "You can't make a rainbow. But you can make a screen to show one on." On the ground, they also held an event in a public square, letting people see what lay at the end of the rainbow.
What happened
#RainbowNation was covered by media around the world, and the campaign won multiple awards at Cannes Lions, including Gold. It was the first time a Coca-Cola campaign out of South Africa had won at Cannes.
Afterthought
Just coming up with the idea of making a rainbow is impressive enough, but the sheer determination to actually gather scientists, calculate the angles, and spray mist from rooftops until it really worked is something else. This is a moment when advertising moved reality itself.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2014
