Coca-Cola Celebrates Christmas Birthdays in a New Ad

Coca-Cola is celebrating everyone whose birthday is around Christmas in an uplifting holiday spot. 

In "Merry Birthday," viewers are introduced to Olivia, a woman living in Portugal whose special day lands on December 22. Her siblings then explain her challenges as someone who celebrates her birthday right before Christmas.

"You get less presents, less attention," Sebastian, Olivia's brother explained. 

Meanwhile, Olivia's sister Guilaine shared that she doesn't remember a lot of Olivia's birthdays, as they "mix in with Christmas."

In an effort to make her feel special on her birthday, Coca-Cola and Olivia's family decided to throw her a city-wide party — except she didn't know it was for her. 

All the celebrant was told was that she would participate in a Christmas documentary along with her family. 

As Olivia and Guilaine go for a walk around the city, she slowly realizes that the city's celebrations were made for her: she gets a special greeting from her long-distance friend Leo through a sidewalk LED screen, is serenaded by her brother in a street performance, and finds a marching band with her friends and family happily greeting her.

In Olivia's last stop, she is greeted by an unsuspecting Coca-Cola Christmas truck, where her friend Leo gets off to surprise her, and cap off her special day. 

"To all the Olivias out there, merry birthday," the two-minute spot concludes.

Led by design agency AKQA with help from Ogilvy PR, "Merry Birthday" serves as the conclusion to WPP Open X’s ‘The World Needs More Santas’ global campaign.