Coca-Cola plans a 2,600-mile relay across the USA, starting from its westernmost point to the Spartanburg plant, symbolizing the journey shared with the American public. The event will kick off on Earth Day, April 22, 2009, and involve employees, consumers, and influential figures in high-impact cities to promote recycling and sustainability. The relay will conclude with the bottle being handed over for recycling, culminating in a celebration at the Spartanburg site and the release of a documentary video on the initiative.

2. the idea
A 2,600 mile relay involving a single
bottle being handed off across the USA
from the Western most point to the
Spartanburg plant.
It starts with Coke employees and builds
to involve consumers.
It’s a metaphor for the journey that
Coca-Cola and the American public are
setting out on together.

3. How does it
get there?
With the help of good
clean energy.
Run
Row
Sail
Walk
Bike
Rollerblade
Hybrid
Segway

4. Where do we go?
We travel across the USA hitting high
impact cities that have both a strong
system presence and concentrations
of concerned Americans who can
influence change:
Coca-Cola employees & bottlers
Opinion leaders
College / university students & academics
Involved mothers / heads of families

5. …and connect current
assets where possible
Recyclemania Colleges
Give It Back Colleges
Charlotte Live Positively Pilot
NASCAR
American Idol
LA Live
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
National Parks
Rails to Trails
Athletes (Olympic, NCAA, NBA, PGA, LPGA, etc)
Local Teams and Venues supported by Bottlers

6. situation
The Spartanburg plant will hold its grand
opening on January 14th. Due to this
accelerated timing, we have considered several
options for the relay.

7. timing
The journey is announced on January 14th, 2009 at the official ribbon
cutting. We will leverage communication and press at the Spartanburg
opening to begin spreading the word.
We kick off an online contest to recruit bottle carriers, asking Coca-Cola
employees, affiliates and partners to submit their L+ stories, including how
and where they’d like to carry the bottle.
The actual relay begins on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2009. The relay lasts 60
days, which represents the approximate amount of time it takes to
complete a bottle for bottle recycling process.
Together we steward the bottle out of the city and across the USA.

8. considerations
Timing a bit further away from the opening, but aligns the effort with Earth Day
Lead time allows for more planning, more markets, but is still very aggressive
Timing allows some anticipation and build between announcement and race
At launch, colleges will be finishing their school year, but we can still recruit for
bottler carriers
Q2 timing enables more outdoor events and better running conditions

10. market activation
Markets will be activated in varying levels, in order to
focus efforts and maximize timing and budgets.
High-Impact Cities (5)
• A celebrity figure carries the bottle
• A hand-off at an event or key location
+ Medium- & low-impact city activities
Medium-Impact Cities (6)
• Higher-level recruitment to ensure key bottle carriers (A high-level system
employee, an state-level opinion leader, Boys & Girls Club kids, GIB &
Recyclemania college students)
• Advance team sets out recycling bins along the path and arranges for collection by
municipal program or by Relay team
• Drop off team to meet with city officials to pitch recycling program/Recyclebank
implementation
+ Plus low-impact city activities
Low-Impact Cities (6)
• Advance PR to generate coverage by local TV/print/radio
• Run by the morning news if possible
• System & CCR employees carry bottle
• Try to get mayor to carry bottle

11. high impact cities
LA – Arnold Schwarzenegger carries bottle, LA Live visit/signage, Jay
Leno or Ellen show visit (maybe Jay drives in one of his cars or Ellen
dances it for a distance), B&GC of Santa Monica/Long Beach/LA
Habor kids carry bottle, Cal State (GIB)/UCLA (GIB) students carry
bottle
Houston – Sanya Richards carries bottle (Coke Olympian), B&GC of
Greater Houston kids carry bottle, University of Houston (GIB)/
Texas A&M (GIB), University of Texas (GIB) students carry bottle
New York – American Idol finale visit (May 19-20 – we’ll probably too
late), previous Idol Winner and/or Ryan Seacrest carries bottle,
Times Square visit/signage, Martha Stewart Show visit, Today
Show visit, carriage ride through Central Park w/bottle
DC – Press conference for Opinion Elite, B&GC of Greater Washington
kids carry bottle, Georgetown University (GIB)/George Washington
(GIB) students carry bottle
Atlanta – Headquarters visit, balloon ride to Spartanburg, B&GC of
Metro Atlanta kids carry bottle, Georgia Tech (GIB) students carry
bottle

12. medium impact cities
Salt Lake – Salt Lake City marathon visit (April 2009?), B&GC of Greater Salt
Lake kids carry bottle, University of Utah (GIB) students carry bottle, visit
Provo-Jordan River Parkway Trail (Rails to Trails), hang glider transports
bottle
San Francisco – Big Sur International marathon visit (Carmel, April 2009?),
B&GC of San Fran kids carry bottle, Berkeley (GIB)/City College of San Fran
(GIB)/San Fran State University (GIB) students carry bottle, cable-car
transports bottle
Phoenix – B&GC of Greater Scottsdale/Tempe/Metro Phoenix kids carry
bottle, AZ State students carry bottle, create EcoMoms partnership so they
carry the bottle, land yachts transport the bottle
Dallas – Cowboys quarterback & receiver throw bottle for a distance, B&GC
of Greater Dallas kids carry bottle, visit Katy Trail (Rails to Trails)
Chicago – Oprah show visit, B&GC of Chicago kids carry bottle, Northwestern
(GIB)/City College of Chicago students carry bottle, visit Friends of
Bloomingdale Trail (Rails to Trails), sailboat transports the bottle to Detroit
Detroit – Eastern Michigan (GIB) students carry bottle

13. low impact cities
Sacramento – Natalie Coughlin carries bottle (Coke Olympian)
St. Louis –
Springfield – B&GC of Springfield kids carry bottle
Grand Rapids –
Cleveland – LeBron James carries bottle
Baltimore –
Charlotte – Coke 600/billboard visit (May 24)

14. extending the buzz (retail)
• Limited edition green caps on Coca-Cola products
asking you to “Give it Back”.
• On-product messaging that tells the Relay story and
drives to web.
• Red Laces made of recycling PET.
• Retail promos i.e. empty promise coupon.

15. extending the buzz (online)
A site dedicated to the Relay, allowing Coke and
consumers to share their stories.
Online Pledge. Share stories & select bottler carriers.
Bottle cam. Who’s got the bottle now.
Profiles. Bottle tracker. Where is the bottle now.
Videos. Clips of the day. Highlights of the journey.
Daily blogger. Chronicles the journey.
Join us. How far are you willing to go.
Geo-Targeted Media. Alert online consumers that the
bottle is coming to their area.

16. finale
At the end of its journey, a consumer hands the
bottle to a plant employee to be recycled. We
broadcast this grand final to Coke affiliates and
those who participated so that they too can
celebrate this great achievement.
Invite the media and Coke affiliates
to an event in Spartanburg.
We release the documentary video of the story.
The relay becomes a cornerstone of our story that
can be retold.

17. finale
(additions & options)
Deliver the bottle to the world of
coke where employees, press,
and affiliates can join in the
celebration. Bottle is then flown
to Spartanburg in a red hot-air
balloon.
A celebration is held that
evening in Atlanta for all of
those that partook in the relay;
press & opinion elite are invited
as well.

18. action items
-Routing / Logistics planning
-Participant Registration & Background Checks, Interviews
-Alternates for Participants & Senerio Development
-Staffing, Event Permits, Insurance
-Local, City, State Ordinance, Police
-Scheduling, Routing, Inspection, Alternative Routes
-Chase & Crew Vehicles, DOT
-Crew & Participant Lodging
-Participant Travel
-Participant provided transportation, Inspection, Liability
-Coordinating with existing/scheduled events, PR (Bottlers, College, Brand)
-Paramedics/ On Site Medical
-Emergency Planning & Routing (Start to Finish)
-Film Crew
-Technology

19. next steps
Select timing option and rough route
Set budget parameters
Creative & experiential development
Gather key stakeholders in Atlanta for
summit meeting