Coca-Cola set out to find a creative partner to build social awareness and content for the Russian market, with the challenge of remaining true to its global brand while operating meaningfully within a distinct digital ecosystem.
Working from London in close collaboration with local teams in Russia, we led the development of a digital platform designed specifically for VK, the country’s largest and most culturally influential social platform. Rather than adapting global social content, the work was built from the ground up to reflect how audiences in Russia discover, share, and engage with content.
The creative approach stayed rooted in Coca-Cola’s core brand truth of optimism, togetherness, and summer energy, while expressing it through formats and behaviours native to VK. The result was content that felt familiar, participatory, and culturally fluent rather than imported.
Designed as a multi touchpoint system, the platform allowed Coca-Cola to show up consistently across social moments while encouraging interaction and sharing. The work demonstrated how global brands can maintain equity while allowing local culture to shape expression.
The strength of the strategy and creative platform led to Sapient winning the account, establishing a foundation for long term digital engagement in the Russian market.
