Costa Coffee’s Winning Strategy
As the world’s eyes turned to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, Costa Coffee used Ripples technology to brew up an unforgettable experience in the heart of the Olympic Village.
The Official Worldwide Coffee Partner for the Olympic Games, Costa Coffee’s presence during the games was perfectly targeted to the Gen Z athletes staying in the Village, a 360 degree engagement opportunity including everything from free coffee to “incredibly competitive” espresso races, and custom cappuccino art created with the Ripple Maker drink printer.
Word of the custom cappuccinos at Costa Coffee spread across the village.
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“You must see this! It’s amazing.”
Marvin Seidel, Badminton
Team Germany
@kaleighgilchrist10 I had to go check out the Costas Coffee in the Olympic Village & of course get a corgi cappuccino #olympicvillage #paris2024 #olympics ♬ Summer – Croquet Club
“Costa Coffee has been huge here at the Olympics.”
Kaleigh Gilchrist, Water Polo
Team USA
And across the Internet – multiple social media posts about the experience garnered more than 1 million views apiece
@94nadino exploring the olympic village 😎 #olympics #paris2024 #olympicvillage ♬ Che La Luna – Louis Prima
1.3 million views
Nadine Aeberhard, BMX
Team Switzerland
@axelleetienne Première journée au village 😍 #Olympics ♬ Chihiro – Gravagerz
1.3 million views
Axell Etienne, BMXTeam France
Costa Coffee used the Ripple Maker to give athletes an opportunity to celebrate moments of achievement, print and drink selfieccinos, and their loved ones back home. And, as the New York Times observed, “many competitors have chosen pets not people.”
The engagement was overwhelming, with thousands of personalized drinks crafted and shared online throughout the three-week event, and countless social media shares.
The International Olympics Committee has strict guidelines on how athletes and sponsors can share about the competition, but Costa’s innovative brand activation was so successful it was impossible to tell from the outside – we just saw the fun. Costa’s activation with their branded Ripples selfieccino machine resonated with athletes and won them huge organic brand reach during the games.