…Coke Studio Nigeria in Focus
“To ba lo si party
Nibi tiwon je’gbadun
To bani ki lo n mu
To ba ni Coca cola
Won ani ko maye je
Jedi jedi loma pa”
Those are the words of the music maestro, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi in one of his many evergreen songs told the story of a trendy and successful young man who does not know how to “enjoy life” because he consumes Coca-Cola. This narrative has finally been altered by the brand through the introduction of #CokeStudioNG. This brand evolution has changed the impression of trendy youths about her sole association with children.
The launch of 2017 Coke Studio took place at the Civic Centre, one of the most sought after event centres located on the highbrow street of Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Youths from Corporate and Social Nigeria had enough time to unwind despite the event happening on a Wednesday. This day was “perfect” because it did not coincide with other social events.
The venue was branded to a fault! The brand colour was obvious and beautifully used from the screening desk; to the red carpet, to the cocktail area and ultimately the Grand Banquet Hall where the #PartyThatCounts went down. Also noteworthy is the non-noisy cocktail area where everyone who wanted to listen to music was in an independent world of listening via an earphone from the DJ’s steel of wheel.
The cocktail made the difference! The take home from this event is that, the best cocktail can only be mixed with Coca-Cola. The taste is distinct and the mix can be identified with by anyone who knows how to “enjoy life” in a mixed way. The colour of the drink looks akin to Coca-Cola. It looks and tastes good for all events and for all class of trendy people.
The star-studded event had celebrities from all walks of the creative industry. Comedians such as LafUp; WoliArole; Runtown; EmmaOhMaGod; KennyBlaq; Chidinma and others. Musicians like Falzthebahdguy; Simi; Adekunle Gold; Olamide; Yemi Alade and others. Disc Jockeys in the building include DJ Consequence; VJ Adams; DJ JimmyJat and a lot of social media influencers were in attendance.
Brands need to take a cue from Coca-Cola. The brand has constantly evolved and caught up with their target market through various notable campaigns. Typical brands assume that doing the same activity over and over again would lead to a different result but great brand know that evolving per time changes the game. Coca-Cola is renowned for many notable campaigns which include “Share a Coke”; Taste the Feeling; Crazy for Good; Coke Island. This has made Coca-Cola dominant brand in the beverage industry in Nigeria.
Truly, the 2017 launch of #CokeStudioNG marks the beginning of branding giving their consumers #ThePartyThatCounts in terms of quality and it will be remembered for a very long time by Nigerians.
Olutayo IRANTIOLA
