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The ‘Diet Coke Break’ Hunk Is Back

28/01/2013

BETC London

Advertising Agency

London, United Kingdom

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28/01/2013

BETC London kicks off drink's 30th Anniversary with a new face for iconic ad series

He’s back and sexier than ever….. as Diet Coke celebrates its 30th birthday in 2013, a new ‘Hunk’ is about to take centre stage in the latest TVC campaign. The exciting new ad will kick off celebrations, as the brand reaches a landmark anniversary through an integrated campaign based around the ‘Sparkling Together for 30 Years’ strap line as well as treating fans to a new hunk for 2013.

The return of the Diet Coke Hunk is set to get pulses racing and become one of most talked about campaigns of the year. Facebook fans will be amongst the first to catch a full glimpse of the advert from today, at the legendary time of 11:30am. Created by BETC London, the new TVC entitled ‘The Gardener’ will introduce a new generation of women to the hunk with the action still set to the iconic Etta James track, ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’. Model Andrew Cooper, plays the coverted role of Diet Coke Hunk, starring alongside a group of fun-loving female friends. The advert is set to air on television from March, as part of a fully integrated ‘Sparkling Together for 30 Years’ marketing campaign and marks a momentous year for the brand.

Directed by award-winning Rocky Morton, the TVC sees a group of five female friends sitting in the park during their lunch break, as they sip their ice cold Diet Coke they watch a handsome gardener mowing the grass. One girl has an idea and sets a Diet Coke can rolling down the hill – timing it perfectly to intercept the gardener’s path. He picks it up, opens it, as it has shaken up and the Diet Coke then shoots up all over him, soaking his t-shirt. Smiling, he then gives the girls a steamy show, causing a stir amongst the group and revealing his chiseled torso. The women congratulate each other and the gardener gives one smoldering last look before continuing with his mowing.

For many, the ‘Diet Coke Break’ is the most iconic advertising moment of the 90s. First airing in 1994, starring a hunky construction worker, who kept a group of admiring women in an office glued to their window at 11:30am. Alongside the famous Etta James soundtrack, this pioneering campaign proved a cultural phenomenon and flipped traditional gender roles on its head, repositioning the brand as something for the ladies. The series continued and evolved, with fresh incarnations in 1997 and 2007 and now 2013.

There will be further marketing activity to celebrate the 80s, 90s and 00s for the brand including a birthday party celebration, PR campaign and social media support with the launch of new dedicated Instagram and Pinterest pages to share key content from the past 30 years with fans.

The landmark birthday has seen the brand inspire, empower and liberate women, helping position it as a cultural icon. Diet Coke has seen a number of memorable iconic moments that have stuck in consumer’s minds since its launch at Radio City Music Hall, NYC. The first new product launch from Coca-Cola since 1886, excited consumers and saw the brand strike a chord by inviting them to pick up a can, ‘Just For The Taste For It’.

A Sparkling Icon

From the beginning, Diet Coke campaigns have reflected its fun loving, light-hearted attitude and have always been at the forefront of popular culture. Over the years, celebrities including chart-topping singers, athletes, actors and models have embraced Diet Coke as their own. Some of the most popular include Whitney Houston’s famous rendition of “Just for the fun of it”, Elton John and Paula Abdul pairing up in the life-size piano TVC and the “Who’s gonna drink the Diet Coke?” TVC with the cast of hit TV show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

The Ultimate Fashion Accessory

Diet Coke has always been synonymous with fashion-loving women. Over the years, the brand has featured world-renowned supermodels such as Elle Macpherson in the “Just for the Elle of it” TVC, as well the infamous red dress campaign with Heidi Klum, supporting women’s heart health. For the 00’s, the brand started to look towards some of the world’s greatest designers, using their creative vision to create sought-after limited edition collections. In recent years, Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier have joined a host of some of fashion’s biggest names, to come onboard as the brand’s Creative Director.

Ted Ryan, Director of Heritage Communications, The Coca-Cola Company said, “For almost 100 years, the Coca-Cola flagship product stood on its own. The launch of Diet Coke pioneered groundbreaking innovation to meet consumer needs and demands. The brands marketing has helped build a following of millions of drinkers who profess unconditional loyalty and love for their favourite drink.”

Zoe Howorth, Marketing Director for Coca-Cola Great Britain said, “It is an exciting time for us to bring back the hunk, helping take loyal fans back to their first ‘Diet Coke’ break as well as introducing the hunk to a new generation of women. The new TV campaign showcases female empowerment with a cheeky sense of humour, bringing the Diet Coke hunk back with a contemporary twist. The 30th anniversary is a fantastic opportunity to say thank you to our consumers, employees and partners for their continued loyalty. We are looking forward to celebrating the past three decades as the UK’s favourite diet soft drink as well as cementing the brand’s popularity for the next 30 years.”

Credits

Client: Olivier Geyer, Director, Diet Coke NWEN

Caroline Yates, Creative Strategist, Diet Coke NWEN

Aoife Hall, Senior Brand Manager, Diet Coke NWEN

Agency: BETC London

Executive Creative Director: Neil Dawson

Copywriter: Clive Pickering

Designer: Louise Sloper

Art Director: Neil Dawson

Producer: Karen Egan, Lotte Whatmough

Executive Planning Director: Andrew Stirk

Senior Planner : Caroline Collinson-Jones