Coca-Cola celebrates 90 years of Switzerland with "Made by" campaign by Ogilvy

Coca-Cola has been produced in Switzerland since 1936. To mark its 90th anniversary, the company is making visible who is behind the global brand: with the new multichannel campaign "Made by", Coca-Cola is portraying employees from different regions of Switzerland, thereby demonstrating the local roots of the globally renowned beverage manufacturer.

Real people instead of models

The campaign does not focus on famous testimonials, but on real employees of Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland. The portraits include Reto, Plant Manager from Schänis, Seraina, Quality Manager from Bärteswil, Valerio, Warehouse Manager from Dietlikon, Christine, Sales Manager from Geneva, Walter, Sales Consultant from Lucerne, and Tina, Head of Event & Activation from Zurich.

The campaign material shows the protagonists in their real working environment. First name, function and origin highlight the diversity and regional roots of the people who have shaped Coca-Cola in Switzerland for nine decades.

90 years of local value creation

Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland, a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Beverage Company based in Zug, employs around 650 people and supports more than 7,700 jobs along the entire value chain throughout the country. Around 80 percent of the beverages consumed in Switzerland are produced here, and around 95 percent of the ingredients used come from Swiss suppliers. In total, the company contributes around CHF 833 million to the Swiss economy every year.

"These 90 years stand for continuity and responsibility," says Jürg Burkhalter, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland. "Local production, reliable jobs and targeted investments, such as the recent construction of our new high-bay warehouse in Brüttisellen, are an expression of our long-term commitment to Switzerland as a business location."

Multichannel campaign throughout the country

The campaign is being rolled out across Switzerland as an integrated multichannel campaign. It comprises key visuals for DOOH, OOH and print, photo and video content, including short moving image formats for social media, digital banners for online implementations and static assets for social media.

The content was produced at the Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland production facility in Brüttisellen, in logistics and work environments and in a restaurant setting in Opfikon. The campaign was created in collaboration with Ogilvy Zurich and Swiss photographer Yves Bachmann.

"For 90 years, Coca-Cola has been produced in Switzerland by people for people. With 'Made by', we are showing the faces that shape our brand here in Switzerland every day - and making visible how strongly Coca-Cola is anchored locally," says Anna Cremer, Senior Marketing Manager, The Coca-Cola Company Switzerland.

From Max Stooss to today

The story begins in the mid-1930s, when the young car importer Max Stooss brought Coca-Cola to Switzerland. In 1937, the first bottling plant went into operation at Letzigraben in Zurich. Over the following decades, further production sites were built, gradually supplying the whole of Switzerland.

Coca-Cola will be present with various initiatives throughout the anniversary year. Among other things, partnerships and appearances at national events such as the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Zug are planned. With commitments in music, sport and inclusion, such as the CokeSTUDIO Soundcheck or the partnership with Special Olympics Switzerland, Coca-Cola has become an integral part of Swiss society and pop culture.

"This anniversary is more than just a birthday," says Fabio Cella, Country Manager Coca-Cola Switzerland. "It shows how much Coca-Cola in Switzerland is shaped by the local people and how important it is to continue to take responsibility and remain relevant, both for society and for culture."

Responsible at Coca-Cola: Anna Cremer, Senior Marketing Manager. Responsible at Ogilvy Zurich: Creation and realization (no further names mentioned). Photography: Yves Bachmann.