Coca-Cola partners with Time Out

Time Out says for decades, Coca-Cola has been a part of iconic food and culture moments – from films to music hits and more. Today, it continued, Coca-Cola is unveiling Foodmarks, which celebrates newly-created global "food landmarks" inspired by culture, created with the real magic of Coca-Cola.

Launching across the world, Foodmarks are destinations and experiences with a recipe of three key ingredients: the perfect moment, the perfect meal, and an ice-cold Coca-Cola, added Time Out.

To launch the campaign, Coca-Cola will debut five immersive experiences globally, each inspired by a moment in culture. The debut Foodmarks will invite people to rediscover the magic created during the original moment – from the time Marilyn Monroe was photographed enjoying a hot dog and a Coca-Cola from a New York City street cart, to scenes captured in the Hong Kong film “The God of Cookery.”

More than 400 Foodmarks are highlighted at launch in cities and neighborhoods around the world, with more being added over the coming weeks, brought to life through a partnership with Time Out.

Time Out has listed some of the debut, immersive launch experiences that fans can expect to see in 2024:

• New York City, USA – February 16-17
The first iconic Foodmark experience will debut in New York City, inspired by the famous photograph of Marilyn Monroe stopping traffic while enjoying a hot dog and an ice-cold Coca-Cola. This immersive three-day experience will create a perfect mashup of 1957 and 2024, incorporating theater, dance, technology, and style, featuring shops, breakout flash-shows, and a virtual Marilyn brought to life through AI - all inspired by 1957 Coca-Cola. Free tickets for the event have already “sold out”, however, a limited number of entries will be available at the experience on a first-come, first serve basis.
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – March 1
In the 80s, Brazilian rock legend Cazuza frequented the bohemian neighborhood of Leblon, enjoying many a late-night meal after a show with an ice-cold Coca-Cola. For The Cazuza Foodmark, Coca-Cola is opening “Pizzaria Cazuza” an 80s themed rock restaurant and music venue serving Cazuza’s favorite pizza and Coca-Cola.
• Hong Kong, China – March 8-10
When “The God of Cookery" came out in the 90s, it became an instant hit in Hong Kong cinema, telling the story of a renowned chef who loses his title and sets out to reclaim it, filled with scenes featuring meals and Coca-Cola. At The God of Cookery Foodmark, Coca-Cola is bringing Hong Kong's cinematic flavors to life by recreating the renowned 'Beef Ball Shop' as an immersive pop-up store.
• New Delhi, India – March 8
Raj Kapoor was the biggest star in Bollywood, and he would often share meals and Coca-Cola with his co-stars and crew on-set during the 1950s. At The Raj Kapoor Foodmark, Coca-Cola is recreating Raj Kapoor’s on-set meal moments, inviting people to enter the golden age of Bollywood in the 1950s, through an immersive film set that combines the magic of 1950s Bollywood with tech forward interactive moments using AR and A.I. The event will be curated and hosted by Janhvi Kapoor, and Raj’s Grandson will curate the menu with his grandfather's favorite dishes that live on through Junglee Kitchen.
• Bangkok, Thailand – April
Bangkok street food stalls have been the location of legendary meals and Coca-Cola moments forever. These are all being transformed into Foodmarks, all announced through a magic audiovisual experience that celebrates Bangkok’s most epic night out, featuring Thai culture and culinary talent.

Time Out says fans can explore and find Foodmarks across the world through a custom interactive map as part of a bespoke global campaign created by them.

"Foodmarks wield the extraordinary power to transcend borders and tell stories of shared experiences and cultural significance. They are a testament to the universal language of mealtime,” said Elif Kaypak, global brand marketing lead at The Coca-Cola Company. “As we unveil the five global iconic Foodmarks and hundreds more in neighborhoods around the world, we celebrate the moments that have shaped culture and connected us through the shared magic of Coca-Cola."

Across Time Out’s multiple digital channels, the publisher says Foodmarks are brought to life by editorial and branded content, social media posts and CRM emails – all written by Time Out’s global team of local expert journalists. In addition, the campaign taps into Time Out’s Tastemakers – the brand’s influencer network – who will create posts around the Foodmarks which will also be shared via Time Out’s social channels.

“We are thrilled to work with Coca-Cola on this global partnership – it makes the most of what we do and represent as a brand: our authentic “best of the city” content, global footprint, experience-hungry audience around the world, engaging channel mix and most of all, our love for cities and food expertise,” said Stacy Bettman, CEO of Time Out Media.

“Like Coca-Cola, we believe that shared culinary and cultural experiences create great moments and bring people together – it’s what we do every day across our digital Time Out channels and Time Out Markets.”

Foodmarks are a continuation of last year’s “A Recipe for Magic” campaign, says Time Out, which celebrates the magic of shared meals and the incredible human connections that happen when we gather with others to enjoy a meal together. As this recipe comes to life, it creates a Foodmark, a physical destination that captures shared magical moments and connections.

In addition to launching Foodmarks around the globe, this year’s “A Recipe for Magic” campaign will also include “Real Recipes”, highlighting the reality that Foodmarks are created every day in homes across the world. In collaboration with renowned filmmaker Vincent Haycock, Coca-Cola will curate authentic snapshots of individuals who've crafted a Recipe for Magic, turning these real-life moments into short films.

The publisher says the campaign was developed and executed by WPP Open X, led by Ogilvy.