Coca-Cola is expanding its music platform “Coke Studio” to a global stage. Originally launched in Pakistan in 2008, the Coke Studio program is digital-first, always-on and provides an opportunity for emerging talent to partner, create and deliver moments of musical magic to new audiences.
The first moment is the introduction of a 90-second film titled “The Conductor” featuring Nigerian singer songwriter and producer Tems and six other global superstars namely Grammy nominated American R&B sensation Ari Lennox; British singer songwriter Griff; Turkish electro-pop producer Ekin Beril; Latin urban pop powerhouse Mariah Angeliq; Canadian-Indian rapper and producer Tesher; and colourful, multilingual K-Pop girl band TRI.BE.
‘The Conductor’ pays homage to the legendary rock band Queen through a unique collaboration that encapsulates the multicultural magic at the core of the Coke Studio platform. The 90-second film centers on a re-recording of Queen’s iconic ‘A Kind of Magic’ melody, produced in an extraordinary collaboration with global breakthrough artists who each bring their own unique style to the music, reimagining the track for a new generation.
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According to Pratik Thakar, Head of Global Creative Strategy and Content, Coca?Cola, “Coke Studio is a direct extension of Coca?Cola’s Real Magic philosophy. It celebrates the unique ability of music to unite and uplift and provides a connection point for fans around the world to come together and enjoy a new experience.”
“The Coke Studio platform was born in Pakistan and has gone on to have great success there as well as in Africa and the Philippines, including 11 million YouTube subscribers. We believe it has the potential for exponential growth, and today we’re excited to introduce it to a wider global audience, using the reach of our iconic brand to help bring new audiences to some extraordinary artists,” Pratik Thakar adds.
In Africa, Coke Studio was hitherto known as “Coke Studio Africa“, a non-competitive music reality show organised by the Coca-Cola company where Africa’s biggest Musicians are paired to perform life. It featured top musicians like King Sunny Ade, M.I., Waje, Bez and Salif Keita.
“We set out to do something different with Coke Studio,” said Joshua Burke, Head of Global Music & Culture Marketing, The CocaCola Company. “Coca?Cola has always had a strong connection with music, working with stand-out emerging talent in different communities in all corners of the world, as well as a strong heritage in connecting people across borders and cultures. Coke Studio brings these two things together in a way that’s powerful and future-facing, supporting the development of talent in the music industry, while also connecting new audiences to new music – and to each other.”
Burke also said that “We see ‘The Conductor’ as both a homage to the legendary Queen and an opportunity to refresh and reinterpret one of their greatest tracks in different ways across cultures and musical genres, for a new generation. There’s magic in that too.”
The launch of Coke Studio and ‘The Conductor’ has been curated in partnership with Universal Music Group, the world leader in music-based entertainment, with five of the participating breakthrough artists signed to the company’s iconic record labels, and a sixth with its Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) division. ‘The Conductor’ was created with creative agency, BETC London and produced with Iconoclast’s director Pierre Dupaquier (WAFLA).
“Collaborating with these incredible artists and the Coca?Cola team on both the music and creative vision for this launch was magic,” said Richard Yaffa, EVP, Global Brands, Universal Music Group. “Our companies are aligned in our deep commitment to showcasing phenomenal talent, to partnering with artists from all over the globe and to supporting them in sharing their music while creating opportunities to expand their fanbase.”
‘The Conductor’ and Coke Studio™ global platform is live now.
Though the Coke Studio started earlier, Coca Cola was lenient in making it a global platform that will compete in the music industry. Apple Music which started in 2015, has become a global music force and a huge source of revenue for the iPhone maker.
This move by Coca Cola to expand the Coke Studio is also a strategy of diversification – divesting from consumables to multi-billion dollar music industry.