Coca-Cola: The Line Up Song
Coca-Cola Egypt wanted to capitalize on the national team's return to the African Cup of Nations after a six - year absence. However, rival Pepsi held the official sponsorship rights. FP7/CAI needed to find a way for Coke to connect with football fans and own the cultural conversation without using official players, jerseys, or tournament branding, while addressing the fact that fans barely knew the new squad.
Creative Idea
Used a nursery rhyme to teach fans the names of unfamiliar national football players.
Coca-Cola bypassed official sponsorship restrictions by creating a catchy mnemonic song that taught fans the names of Egypt's new national football team, turning a lack of player recognition into a massive cultural utility and viral anthem.
The Hijack That Taught a Nation to Sing
A Masterclass in Legal Ghosting
The production is a case study in ambush marketing through omission. Because Pepsi held the official AFCON 2017 sponsorship, FP7/CAI was legally barred from showing footballs, stadiums, or the official national jersey. Director Maged Nassar bypassed these constraints by filming in a gritty, local ping pong hall using non-professional actors. By focusing on "real" street culture rather than polished stadium aesthetics, the brand positioned itself as the "people's sponsor" while avoiding a single legal infringement.
From Nursery Rhyme to Number One
The creative team repurposed the melody of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" (known locally as "Gedo Ali") to create a mnemonic device for fans. After a six - year absence from major tournaments, the Egyptian public was unfamiliar with the new squad. The song functioned as a cultural utility, teaching the names of the players through an earworm that eventually became the #1 trending track on Anghami. The impact extended beyond the screen; the song was played at weddings and clubs across Egypt throughout the tournament.
50 Million People and a Jersey Swap
The campaign reached 55% of the Egyptian population, garnering 6 million organic views on Facebook and 500,000 plays within hours of launch. Beyond the film, the "Jersey Exchange" activation allowed fans to trade foreign club shirts for Egyptian national jerseys. In a final nod to social responsibility, the collected foreign jerseys were recycled into duvets and donated to those in need during the winter, cementing the brand's connection to national pride and community welfare.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A globally recognized brand synonymous with shared happiness and national celebration.
Category
Official sponsors rely on exclusive access to players, stadiums, and logos to build association.
Customer
Fans felt disconnected from a national team they had not seen in a major tournament for six years.
Culture
Egypt's long - awaited return to the African Cup of Nations created a massive surge in national pride.
Company
A globally recognized brand synonymous with shared happiness and national celebration.
Category
Official sponsors rely on exclusive access to players, stadiums, and logos to build association.
Strategy:
Provide a functional utility that solves a fan knowledge gap to hijack relevance from official event sponsors.
Customer
Fans felt disconnected from a national team they had not seen in a major tournament for six years.
Culture
Egypt's long - awaited return to the African Cup of Nations created a massive surge in national pride.
Strategy:
Provide a functional utility that solves a fan knowledge gap to hijack relevance from official event sponsors.
Results
The campaign achieved massive scale, reaching 55% of the Egyptian population (approximately 50+ million people). It generated 6 million organic views on Facebook, with 500,000 plays occurring within the first few hours of launch. The song became the #1 trending track on Anghami, the Middle East's leading music streaming app. Culturally, the track became a national earworm played at weddings and clubs. The 'Jersey Exchange' activation successfully collected foreign jerseys which were recycled into duvets for charitable donation. The campaign was a major awards success, winning 4 Cannes Lions (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze), the Grand LIA in Branded Entertainment, a Silver Clio, and 2 Gold Andy Awards.
55%
Reach of Egyptian Population
6M
Organic Facebook Views
#1
Trending Track on Anghami
Strategy Technique
Build an Utility, Not an Ad
Instead of just cheering, Coke provided a practical service by helping fans learn the names of their returning heroes, making the brand indispensable to the fan experience without official rights.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Sing a song
The campaign used a familiar nursery rhyme melody to create an earworm that functioned as an educational tool, helping fans memorize the unfamiliar national team roster during a major tournament.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign masterfully uses a mnemonic nursery rhyme to solve a real-world utility problem, bypassing legal sponsorship restrictions through clever environmental storytelling.
By repurposing 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' into a player-name mnemonic, the agency created a functional cultural anthem that topped music charts.
The strategy of 'ambush marketing' allowed the brand to hijack a major tournament from an official sponsor without using any restricted imagery.
The use of non-professional actors in a gritty ping pong hall grounded the brand in authentic Egyptian street culture rather than polished corporate aesthetics.
The 'Jersey Exchange' and subsequent recycling of shirts into duvets for the needy extended the campaign's narrative into tangible social impact.
The magic lies in the synergy between legal-defying Media Planning and the infectious Music, turning a restrictive 'lack of rights' into a 'people's anthem'.
