FDBusiness.com

Coca-Cola is putting people’s names on its bottles and cans, this summer, for the first time across Europe as part of its ‘Share a Coke’ campaign.

In the UK, 150 of the most popular names will be stocked on shelves across the country, with names ranging from Aaron to Zoe.

The names will appear across individual 500ml and 375ml PET bottles, with larger sharing bottles an multipacks across Coke and its light variants, set aside for sharing with ‘friends,’ ‘family’ and ‘everyone’.

For those consumers unable to find their names on pack, the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign is also brought to life online atwww.shareacoke.co.uk, where personalised Coca-Cola virtual cans can be created and shared with friends.

The drinks giant launched the same scheme in 2011 in Australia, where consumers could pick up a personalised bottle or can at a supermarket, or get their name printed on a can of Coke for free at one of the popular shopping centres.

“This is the first time in our long history that we’ve ever replaced the iconic “Coca-Cola” script on pack and who better to celebrate with than the people who love our brands the most – our consumers. It’s fantastic that we can really personalise the product for them,” said Caroline Cater, operational marketing director for Coca-Cola Enterprises.

She added: “We’re issuing the invite for people to connect and as part of that we want the public to have fun finding the names of their friends and loved ones on our products, and taking the time to Share a Coke with them.

“The ‘Share a Coke’ campaign will capture the nation’s imagination this summer and will help drive volume and value growth for retailers. We would urge them to stock up now and ensure that Coca-Cola’s portfolio is prominent within their stores to take full advantage of this sales opportunity.”