Coca-Cola Canada Opens Happiness at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Green is the new Red for zero-waste, carbon-neutral sponsor

VANCOUVER , Feb. 9 /CNW/ - Coca-Cola, the world's longest continuous corporate partner of the Olympic Games, today revealed its plans to uplift, refresh, and inspire all Canadians during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. While doing so, Coca-Cola will demonstrate its efforts to become the most environmentally-friendly Olympic Games sponsor, by committing to being carbon neutral and to generating "zero waste" in its entire Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games operations. The company will "open happiness" through a larger-than-life on-site experience at the Games, a unique award program recognizing Canadians who Live Positively, and a fully-integrated marketing campaign.

"Coca-Cola provides refreshment and happiness during life's greatest moments," said Nicola Kettlitz, general manager, Coca-Cola Vancouver 2010 Olympic Project Team. "The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games promise to be a great moment shared by all Canadians. These Olympic Games will be made even more special because of Coca-Cola's efforts to be the leading sustainable sponsor. We have been using our sponsorship to inspire Canadians to lead more active, environmentally-sustainable lifestyles."

Coca-Cola's Olympic Winter Games Sustainability Plan

Vancouver 2010 celebrates leading examples of innovation in sustainability through the Vancouver 2010 Sustainability Star program. The program recognizes initiatives by Games partners, sponsors and VANOC that demonstrate positive and measurable social, economic and environmental benefits. Coca-Cola is a Sustainability Star winner for its carbon footprint and offset program. Coca-Cola is using the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games to showcase its sustainability efforts and to inspire individuals to be more environmentally friendly. Coca-Cola will profile its global environmental best practices in an effort to demonstrate how companies can take progressive steps to reduce their environmental footprint. Coca-Cola created its environmental action plan through consultation with WWF-Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation.

Four Olympic Games firsts will contribute to the attainment of Coca-Cola's commitments. First, Coca-Cola will be carbon-neutral in its sponsorship of the Olympic Winter Games and Olympic Torch Relay. Second, 100 per cent of all beverage cups and lids are compostable. Third, the company's new PlantBottle will make its debut at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, where most Coca-Cola beverages sold will be in this completely recyclable package made from up to 30 per cent plant-based material. Finally, through the use of sustainable packaging and ensuring 100 per cent collection of all PET containers used throughout the Olympic Winter Games venues, a minimum of 95 per cent of all waste will be diverted from landfills.

In addition to these "firsts", the company will continue its environmental efforts through collecting beverage containers in more than 800 recycling barrels, each made from reused Coca-Cola concentrate barrels. All Coca-Cola associates supporting the Olympic Winter Games will wear uniforms made of recycled plastic (PET) bottles.

Coca-Cola will employ leading-edge technologies to reduce its carbon emissions, and purchase Gold Standard carbon offsets to reduce Olympic Winter Games carbon emissions by 100 per cent. For example, 1,400 proprietary EKOfresh refrigeration units nearly eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions and reduce energy use by 35 per cent over regular refrigeration units through 'smart' temperature control. This reduction of 5,600 metric tons is comparable to taking approximately 1,200 cars off the road for an entire year. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will mark the first time this new refrigerant technology will be used in North America .

The materials that Coca-Cola has produced to be used in concessions within the Olympic Winter Games venues that are produced from post-consumer recycled plastic. All of these items will be redeployed into the general market after the Games.

On-Site Experience

Coca-Cola is proud to help create unique and memorable experiences at LiveCity Vancouver . Located at LiveCity Yaletown, the Coca-Cola Pavilion a multi-sensory, interactive experience that will inspire more than 275,000 visitors, while highlighting Coca-Cola's past and present involvement with the Olympic Games as well as the company's current and future commitments to environmental sustainability. Housed within an 8,600 sq. ft. pavilion, the space has been created to engage visitors on a multitude of levels, allowing guests of all ages to open happiness around every corner they turn. The pavilion will bring Coca-Cola's sustainability efforts to life as guests learn about efforts to protect the polar bear, recycle in unique ways, and meet the "bottle of the future," the PlantBottle. Of course, they will be able to enjoy Coca-Cola and Coke Zero, served perfectly-chilled at four degrees. David Lam Park is open daily from February 12th to February 28th . Full hours of operation will be available on iCoke.ca as of February 12th .

LiveCity will feature nightly entertainment. The Coca-Cola open happiness Anthem will be performed by Canadian artists Coeur de Pirate, Jay Malinowski and Kardinal Offishall on Feb 20th at 8:45 p.m.

Coca-Cola will also host three official Pin Trading Centres before and during the Games, where visitors can trade more than 130 different varieties of Vancouver 2010 lapel pins, all made from recycled content. Partial proceeds from the sale of Coca-Cola Games pins will be donated to WWF-Canada.

Coca-Cola After Dark Parade

As part of the Yaletown Business Improvement Association's "Made in Vancouver " festival, Coca-Cola has created a nightly parade, spreading happiness and Olympic cheer through the streets of Yaletown. Bringing together musicians, performers, buskers and Coca-Cola happiness ambassadors, the parade will energize and invigorate crowds, sharing smiles, Olympic Spirit and above all ... happiness!

Athletes' Village

Through the use of an interactive screen at the Athletes' Village, Coca-Cola will be securing pledges to personal sustainability and environmental action from former and current Olympic Games athletes, who will become environmental ambassadors. Coca-Cola will promote these pledges to engage and inspire Olympic Games fans around the world to embrace more sustainable lifestyles.

Live Positively Awards

Beginning February 13th , ceremonies for the Coca-Cola "Live Positively Awards" - celebrating those who make positive choices and strive to better themselves, their communities and others in their everyday lives - will unfold during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This is the third Olympic Games in which the Coca-Cola Live Positively Awards will be presented.

With Golden Hearts

All facets of the Coca-Cola Canada open happiness marketing campaign will evoke the Olympic Spirit and a strong dose of Canadian pride in all of us, in a way only Coca-Cola can.

Coca-Cola will air television spots in Canada during the Games, which will be unveiled throughout the Games. "The Journey" salutes Coca-Cola's Olympic Torchbearers for their commitments to live more active, environmentally-sustainable lifestyles. "He Shoots, He Scores" taps into the Canadian ice hockey psyche by affirming ice hockey as our game. Finally, "Snowball" shows how Coke can spark spontaneity and fun as people come together and engage in a high-energy game.

Olympians won't be the only ones taking home a prize when we go for gold. Each time Canada wins a gold medal, a Coca-Cola consumer will win $25,000 , with more than 100,000 secondary prizes to be won. On-package, in-store and digital media will all drive consumers to enter to win this contest at iCoke.ca.

Billboards in Toronto and Vancouver will bring the spirit and energy of the Games to the streets, including a gigantic maple leaf billboard in Vancouver (at Hastings and Vernon). The maple leaf represents a podium, and every time a Canadian athlete makes it to the real podium, a medal will be hung on the billboard.

Engaging Aboriginal Youth

Using the Coca-Cola contour bottle as their canvases, 15 First Nations, Inuit and Metis artists from coast to coast have created unique pieces of art in celebration of their heritage and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. These 15 one-of-a-kind bottles will be on display during the Olympic Games at the Coca-Cola Pavilion at David Lam Park, BC Pavilion at the Vancouver Art Gallery , and Artisan Village at UBC, and then auctioned off between February 15 and 25 at icoke.ca. All proceeds from their sale will be donated to the Aboriginal Youth Legacy Fund.

Coca-Cola Post-Olympic Games Legacy Project

Coca-Cola Canada will make a $350,000 investment in an outdoor sport court for Vancouver's inner-city youth. The court will provide a place for youth and families to participate in active, healthy play. Coca-Cola has also committed to a minimum of two years of financial support for the Ray-Cam Cooperative Community Centre for programming, coaching and a variety of sports clinics that will benefit the entire community. Additionally, 7,000 toques, scarves and vests made from the actual containers collected at the Olympic Games venues will be provided to Community Centre residents.

About Coca-Cola and the Olympic Movement

The Coca-Cola Company has been an Olympic Games partner since 1928 and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. The Company works with National Olympic Committees in more than 200 countries to help athletes train and compete. More than 90 percent of the Coca-Cola system's investment in the Olympic Games is directed to athlete development and to assist in staging the Games. Products of The Coca-Cola Company refresh athletes, volunteers, officials and spectators during the Olympic Games; and supporting programs such as the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay allows Coca-Cola to help share the Olympic Spirit around the world. The Coca-Cola Company is the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider to the Olympic Games through 2020.

Coca-Cola in Canada

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. In Canada , the Company is represented by its subsidiary, Coca-Cola Ltd. (Coca-Cola in Canada ). Coca-Cola is Canada's largest beverage company. Coca-Cola in Canada markets three of Canada's top nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Sprite, and the leading ready-to-drink tea: Nestea. In addition, our subsidiary is the largest juice and juice drinks company with Minute Maid, Five Alive and Fruitopia. The Company also markets DASANI, PowerAde and other hot and cold beverages.

For more information about Coca-Cola in Canada , please visit our website at www.cocacola.ca or our parent company's website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

    
    Join us for an exclusive media tour of the Coca-Cola Pavillion:

    WHEN:   Tuesday, February 9, 2010
    TIME:   Continuous media preview tours starting at noon; last entry at
            1:30 p.m.
    WHERE:  David Lam Park, Yaletown, David Lam Park, 1300 Pacific Avenue,
            Vancouver, BC.
    

For further information: Contacts for Canadian Media: Kirsten Mihailides, Coca-Cola Canada, [phone], [email protected]; Jill Batie, Hill & Knowlton Vancouver, [phone], [email protected]; Contact for International Media: Petro Kacur, The Coca-Cola Company, [phone], [phone], [email protected]