Manuel Akanji becomes brand ambassador for Coca-Cola Switzerland
Coca-Cola Switzerland announces its partnership with Swiss national soccer team player Manuel Akanji. The defender will serve as the company’s new brand ambassador and will be at the center of a partnership that will be unveiled in mid-April. The campaign is part of Coca-Cola’s global activities surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Coca-Cola Switzerland is celebrating 90 years of production in Switzerland this year and has made a conscious choice: Manuel Akanji, one of the best-known Swiss footballers of his generation, will be the new brand ambassador. The defender of the Swiss national football team combines sporting excellence with approachability and down-to-earthness - qualities that are deeply rooted in everyday Swiss culture and that have characterized Coca-Cola for decades.
Football as a unifying element
«Football has the special power to bring people together,» says Giulio Franscini, Brand Manager at The Coca-Cola Company Switzerland. «Especially in a year in which Coca-Cola is celebrating its 90th anniversary in Switzerland, we wanted to work with a personality who embodies this feeling in a credible way. Manuel Akanji stands for team spirit, reliability and closeness to the fans - values that fit perfectly with Coca-Cola. Together we create moments that connect people in everyday life.»
Personal connection to the brand
For Manuel Akanji, the decision to work together was a personal one: «Coca-Cola has been with me for a long time - especially when it comes to football. When you sit down with your colleagues after the game, review the match and spend time together, a Coke is simply part of it. Those are the moments that stay in your memory. That's why this partnership feels real and appropriate to me. I'm delighted to be working with the brand that I've associated with these moments for so long.»
Campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The partnership is embedded in Coca-Cola's global activities surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Various activations are also planned in Switzerland in this context, which will be gradually brought to life over the coming months.
The campaign will be played out across various channels and includes digital content, social media formats, out-of-home and digital out-of-home placements as well as activations in retail and gastronomy. It is supplemented by competitions and fan experiences - including signed jerseys, an exclusive meet & greet with Manuel Akanji and other activations in public spaces. Initial content and placements will be visible from mid-April, with comprehensive activations following in May.
More information: https://www.coca-cola.com/at/de/offerings/fifa-world-cup-2026
