Share a Coke with...Reflections of a Viral Campaign

I am a marketer by trade.  And most days I will tell you by passion as well.  I appreciate good advertising, applaud promotions that actually get me into a store and have no problem completing surveys and answering questions because I understand the underlying goal.  This makes me a boring dinner date.

I am also brand loyal.  To a fault.  When I like a company or product I don't even consider the alternatives and when I don't, well no promotion will get me in the door.  I have been drinking Coke, Diet Coke and now Coke Zero since I was in utero.  I am the horrible person in the restaurant who when asked "Is Pepsi OK?" I say no and order something else.  For years Coke has been my go to brand, without hesitation. 

Until this past summer...

You see, I didn't want to share a Coke with my BFF or a wingman.  I didn't want to think about what my high school boyfriend Zack is doing or my nemesis from elementary school Anna has going on these days.  If I want to be reminded of my past I will visit Facebook on #TBT.  I just want to drink a Coke Zero.  In peace.  No memories of people, no reminders that I don't have more friends, no suggestions for who I should interact with today.  I have actually stood in convenient stores looking through the Coke bottles to find one with a name or reference that did not conjure a memory.

From a marketing standpoint this campaign was genius.  Lots of opportunity for viral advertising, lots of images posted, connections created between consumer and product...from a marketing perspective they did everything right and then some.  But for me, for the person, not the marketer, my loyalty eroded with every suggestion that I should share a Coke with a legend, with Jared, with Samantha.  And I know I am not the only one who felt that way...