Coca-Cola, one of the major sponsors of the Vancouver Olympic Games, which start on February 12, will make its presentсе at the sport event completely “green”. The giant producer of soft drinks will introduce bottles made from 30% plant-based materials, equip its outlets with furniture made from pine-beetle-salvaged wood and have the beverages delivered by hybrid vehicles and electric cart.
Coca-Cola’s idea to go eco-friendly appeared more than 10 years ago and was partly incorporated at the Athens Olympic Games in 2000. This marked the beginning of the green age for the company, as since that time it worked on developing environmentally friendly coolers and shirts made out of plastic bottles (these are going to be introduced ar the upcoming Games). The company has been elaborating the strategy since 2006, when it got down to the preparation for its Vancouver sponsorship.
«The world is evolving. The focus of the consumer is also changing. One thing that we know from the research is that sustainability is important to all of our customers and consumers. It has an impact on how consumers are perceiving our brand,» noted Thierry Borra, Coca-Cola’s director-Olympic Games management.
According to the AdAge magazine, as for now Coca-Cola is one of the first major marketers to launch a zero-waste, carbon-neutral sponsorship of an event as large-scaled as the Olympic Games.