The 60-year-union between Coca-Cola and FIFA has been nothing short of creative and trailblazing since Coca-Cola’s days of merely advertising at every FIFA World Cup in 1950. So successful has it been, that their offsprings (football fans and Coca-Cola consumers), will benefit from the perfectly blissful union. This year, the majestic duo has scored a landmark goal by embarking on a FIFA promotion that will leave Jamaican tongues wagging for months to come. As the longest-standing corporate partner of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Coca-Cola has gained exclusive rights to retain 12 Jamaican students between the ages of 12-16 to travel to South Africa to become official flag bearers at the opening ceremony for the World Cup.
Unbelievable, but true. Teens can now step away from their Wii consuls and experience the action live in South Africa. The 12 lucky students will get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the African Safari, play games, visit sites, and ofcourse be a flag bearer for one of his/her favourite football teams while millions look on and cheer – all for free. Again, incredible, but true. The four days and three nights will be nothing short of exciting for the young minds.
The trip which is endorsed by the Jamaican Ministry of Education is guaranteed to be a safe one for the students, so parents and guardians can rest assured that the children will be heavily supervised by chaperones and security at all times for the duration of their trip.
Chris Hardy, Coca-Cola’s Country Manager says, “We have referred to the Coca-Cola/FIFA experience as a union and our patrons and supporters as our children because that is how we feel. Coca-Cola has had a formal association with FIFA since 1974 until we officially started sponsoring the event in 1978 and I think being a part of a venture for more than half a century says something about our word being our bond and our dedication to our consumers.”
“When we came up with this promotion we explored it from every angle and we have made sure that everything will be in place the moment the teens step on the plane to the moment they return to the island. In fact, I think we have gone a bit overboard with the chaperones and security, but we want to ensure that our students are safe. That’s top priority for us, though we also want them to learn, have fun and be a part of the International Coca-Cola and World Cup experience in Africa,” concluded Hardy.
All the students, ages 12-16 years old will need to do is purchase either a Coca-Cola Classic, Coke Zero or Coke Light and write their name, age, school and the name of the host country on the back of the label(s), then drop them off at any of the selected locations across the island. It’s that simple. The students are allowed to enter as many times as they wish, and all expenses for the trip will be taken care of by Coca-Cola. The draw takes place April 27.
