Coca-Cola polar bears and penguins join Coca-Cola Santa for the holidays

"Give. Live. Love. Coke." Holiday Packaging Hits Shelves.

Move over elves. Thanks to Coca-Cola, Santa now has some new helpers to spread the holiday spirit this year. To help celebrate the holidays this year, the popular Coca-Cola Polar Bears and the familiar Sundblom Santa are joined by a festive group of penguins.

Led by the Polar Bears, the entire family of Coca-Cola holiday characters will be featured in the 2005 Give. Live. Love. Coke. holiday campaign on packaging, advertising, and point-of-of purchase displays. In addition, the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan -- emblazoned with thousands of lights and Santa's grinning image -- will once again visit communities across the U.S. to signal the arrival of the holiday season.

"Coca-Cola holiday packaging and commercials have become a tradition that families anticipate each year," said Katie Bayne, senior vice president, Coca-Cola Brands, Coca-Cola North America. "Our special holiday message of Give. Live. Love. Coke. reminds people to come together and share the magic of the season and the spirit of generosity, just as our Polar Bears, penguins and Santa do."

Advertising

This week the Coca-Cola penguins make their debut when they join the Coca-Cola Polar Bears at the North Pole in the new spot entitled "Arctic Beach Party." In the ad, the bear family is awoken by the sounds of a party accompanied by the Beach Boys tune "Little Saint Nick." While investigating the noise, the polar bear cub slips down a hill into a group of dancing penguins. As the penguins and bears eye one another, a small penguin appears and offers the cub a bottle of Coca-Cola, signaling the bears to join the holiday celebration.

"Arctic Beach Party" is the tenth advertisement to feature the Coca-Cola Polar Bears. Over the years, the bears have come to represent fun and togetherness, especially during the holiday season.

Packaging

The season also wouldn't be complete without a little holiday refreshment featuring the Coca-Cola Polar Bears and the Coca-Cola Santa. This year's holiday packaging, which carries the theme Give. Live. Love. Coke., unifies multiple Coca-Cola trademark brands including Coca-Cola classic, Caffeine Free Coca-Cola classic, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola C2, Diet Coke and Caffeine Free Diet Coke. Festive graphics feature winter-themed scenes of the Coca-Cola Polar Bears and are available on 12-, 18-, 20- and 24-pack cans and on 1.5-, 2- and 3-liter bottles. In stores, packaging will be highlighted with special point-of-sale displays featuring nearly life-size images of Santa, as well as the Coca-Cola Polar Bears and penguins celebrating the season.

Holiday Caravan

Ringing in the holiday season, the brilliantly illuminated Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan will once again roll into communities across the U.S. The five Caravans --18-wheeled semi-trucks -- are decorated with the image of the Coca-Cola Santa and festooned with 25,000 twinkling lights. A red cab, outlined in white lights, pulls the trailer which houses a portable holiday scene -- complete with Christmas trees, Santa backdrops, wooden benches, fences, a stage, and Polar Bear appearances -- to create a festive atmosphere at local holiday events.