Diet Coke Makes an Asset Out of a Fashion Joke in 'Devil Wears Prada 2' Activation

Diet Coke just made a fanny pack feel like couture.

The Coca-Cola brand is doubling down on its partnership with The Devil Wears Prada 2 with a spot and a physical activation that leverages a long-mocked accessory into the campaign's centerpiece.

Created by WPP Open X and led by Ogilvy, the film titled “That’s All” places Diet Coke directly inside the world of RUNWAY Magazine, building on the earlier announcement of its fan-first campaign strategy.

The spot imagines what happens the moment Miranda Priestly leaves the office.

And the answer is simpler than one might think.

Everyone feels a sense of relief. Assistants, stylists, and editors scramble for a brief moment of freedom, having a "Diet Coke break" while the pressure lifts.

At the center is a character reminiscent of Andy Sachs, juggling tasks before finally earning her own break.

After echoing Miranda’s signature line, “That’s all," the protagonist opens a sleek silver fanny pack.

Inside is a perfectly fitted Diet Coke can to make the accessory a deliberate, designed, and aspirational piece of detail to the spot. 

“Diet Coke has long been woven into the fabric of fashion and culture, representing confidence, style, and self-expression,” said Cloé Von Krause, VP of marketing at Coca-Cola Europe.

“The Devil Wears Prada 2 builds on a truly iconic fashion legacy while bringing a fresh, modern edge.”

The true star of the show is obviously the Diet Coke, but Coca-Cola does more than sell the soda. 

Here, it's owning a moment within an IP that's beloved across generations of fashion fans.

Using Props to Create a Moment

Diet Coke's Devil Wears Prada efforts have also landed in the real world.

At the New York premiere, the “Canny Pack” appeared in a branded booth as if it were designed by fictional RUNWAY designer James Holt himself.

Models dressed in Diet Coke silver walked the carpet, pushing the product's visual identity in the fashion space. 

This new initiative builds directly on the earlier campaign rollout, which introduced limited-edition packaging, sweepstakes, and multi-channel placements across TV, digital, social, and out-of-home.

While many brands have done film tie-ins before, Diet Coke’s advantage is its consistency, sticking to a single idea and executing it across formats.

The result is a campaign that feels cohesive, memorable, but most importantly, chic.

Diet Coke’s Canny Pack Play

Diet Coke is teaching us all how to turn a small idea into a full campaign system:

• Simple ideas scale. When a product idea is cascaded across film, events, and physical experiences, it becomes a full campaign system.
• Experiences drive action. Around 85% of event attendees consider buying after participating, showing how immersive brand activations move people closer to making a purchase.
• Tangible moments deepen engagement. Physical activations give audiences something they can see and touch, making campaigns more memorable than digital-only executions.

According to The Coca-Cola Company’s 2024 annual report, the brand generated $47.9 billion in net operating revenues, highlighting its continued marketing investment capacity.

Our Take: Can a Gimmick Become the Main Strategy?

A fanny pack holding a soda shouldn’t work. But here, it does, because the brand commits fully to the bit and immerses itself in the Runway. 

It treats the object like fashion, not merch, and that conviction carries throughout.

A lot of campaigns chase multiple ideas and end up diluted, but Coca-Cola picks a lane and stays there.

From the film to the red carpet, everything ladders up to the same visual and narrative, making it cohesive and simple enough to remind viewers of the product during their TDWP 2 viewing. 

If anything, this shows that the smallest ideas, when executed properly, can carry an entire campaign.

Nothing needs to be complex. You just need to commit. 

In other news, other brands like Grey Goose are also finding ways to insert themselves into the same film universe ahead of release.

Check out our top experiential marketing agencies that design campaigns to spark joy among audiences.