Rugby World Cup Sponsor Coca-Cola Holds 'Ball Exchange' Activation

With the 2015 Rugby World Cup "just around the corner," sponsor Coca-Cola is "hoping to get the general public interested in the game with an activation at London's Tower Bridge this week," according to Josh Barrick of MARKETING MAGAZINE. Coca-Cola held a "Ball Exchange" event where the public "could swap their traditional summer sport balls (tennis, golf, and cricket) for branded rugby balls." Rugby players Mike Tindall, Thom Evans, Emily Scarratt and Natasha Hunt were in attendance to play games with the public and represent the sport. Coca-Cola was "also handing out free cans of drink to the public." Along with its London Bridge promo, Coca-Cola is running an on-pack promotion which gives the public a chance to win one of 1 million limited-edition rugby balls. Finally, there is a "physical activity dimension," with Coke running hundreds of rugby-inspired activity sessions across six cities in the U.K. as part of its ParkLives program (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 8/4).