Pepsi and Coca~Cola are two companies that have been battling it out on the cola war pitch since the beginning of cola beverages! These two fierce competitors know a good time to compete when they see it, and the upcoming FIFA World Cup is the perfect venue for their latest viral marketing campaigns.

Brilliant Viral Marketing Campaigns for the FIFA World Cup

Both Pepsi and Coca~Cola have come up with new viral marketing campaigns that challenge the ideas of traditional marketing, and put it in a soccer context.

These are the kinds of campaigns that get people talking about what the marketing does, not about the product itself. Doing it with soccer is a way for them to capitalize on the upcoming FIFA World Cup, a golazo marketing move for sure!

Pepsi’s #FotbolNow skills challenge vs. Coca Cola’s Fair Play machines

The viral campaign that Pepsi has prepared for the FIFA World Cup is built right onto their can dispensing machines. It is essentially an interactive vending machine game that those who want a Pepsi can play.

The object of the game is to score enough points by juggling a football to win a free Pepsi. Now Pepsi may pay out a few free cans here and there, but the excitement it can bring, especially during the maddest soccer season, can be a form of marketing that happens right in front of their product.

This immediate approach cuts down the lag of watching a commercial and going out to buy a Pepsi, the ad happens right there with the product. Their video shows how this works.

This effort crosses over with their Twitter efforts and brings a hashtag to the real world in a way that people can truly experience. Those using these games are encouraged to tweet about it, use the hashtag, and even post photos and videos of their success. Keen social media marketing if I’ve ever seen it!

Coca Cola’s Fair Play #ShareTheDerby machines

One of the most fierce rivalries in world soccer is the one which exists in Milan, Italy between A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. These two teams play in the same city, at the same stadium, but the rivalry between their fans is legendary as neither side messes around with where their allegiances are. The days of violence are long over, but the rivalry remains serious.

Coca~Cola decided to test this rivalry by setting up two Coke machines in the legendary San Siro Stadium with A.C. Milan was set to play Inter Milan. The machine had a camera and TV screen. The TV screen showed what the other Coke machine was shooting with it’s camera. The two Coke machines were in opposing sides of the stadium.

Now for the twist, and the Fair Play ideal. The only way that an Inter Milan fan could get a Coke was if an A.C. Milan fan saw them and pushed the button. The same was true going the other way. The two sides had to learn to share with one another. Here’s a video of what happened:

The fans had fun, playfully taunted one another, had some free drinks thanks to the generosity they shared, and, of course, sang a bunch of songs.

The campaign received massive exposure on social media, and earned them quite a few tweets on Twitter for their Fair Play campaign, and the larger #ShareTheGood hashtag. There’s no word on whether they’re going to do this at the FIFA World Cup, but they’d be foolish to at least not try to get Brazil and Argentina fans to share a Coke or two!

Matthew is the social media blogger over on the Devumi.com Blog. He writes about social media, developments with Google, and about how small businesses can utilize them for their marketing efforts.