As part of the campaign an LCD screen and video camera have been installed in a bus shelter outside the Sogo department store in the city's Causeway Bay shopping district, allowing passers-by to record 10-second clips of themselves that can be broadcast both at the bus shelter and on the website the next day.
The day's clips will be edited and selected by McCann. Starcom handled the media for the campaign. A 30-second TVC featuring teen pop sensation Leo Ku, with Ku providing the commercial's soundtrack, will also break to support the website's launch.
In the spot Ku takes a drink of Coke on a hot summer's day only to find himself inside a plummetting lift that transports him into a virtual world where he joins a pop band and battles video game monsters.
McCann Erickson Guangming's chairman and ECD Geoff Naus said: "We used a fun, dramatic device to show how easy it is for youngsters to instantly jump form everyday life into the rich, immersive excitement of iCoke.hk."
Coke is building up the portal globally with the goal of attracting 100 million daily users, with 323 domains registered worldwide with the aim of consolidating them under the iCoke brand.
The whole campaign to support the website's Hong Kong launch is based on the observation that today's teens live in a world where the real and virtual meet.
"Coke has always been about youthful fun and shared excitement," a Coca-Cola spokesperson said. "These days teens spend several hours a day online, so iCoke.hk is a natural vehicle through which Coca-Cola can further engage with young consumers."
The website, which is being rolled out across Asia, allows teenagers to chat and share pictures as well as set up their own blogs. The soft drinks giant has also cut a deal with the popular online fantasy game Lineage 2, providing points on the back of Coke labels and under ringpulls that can be traded for gaming time.
These points can also be traded on the website where surfers can kit out their avatar, or online identity, in the latest clothes as well as decorate their own virtual room.
Coke is also offering premiums on the website that can be redeemed for the points.
