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Drinks · Opportunity

Coca-Cola World Cup 2026: the mall food court as a fan park.

A pitched digital activation for Coca-Cola in Pareto Group malls during the 2026 football World Cup: football challenges on mini-pitches in the food court, linked to a Coca-Cola web app that rewards fans for playing, buying and coming back.

  • 2026
  • Food court mini-pitches
  • RFID wristbands
  • QR and NFC at the till
  • Coca-Cola web app
  • Till-slip entries
  • Predict the score
  • Spin & Win
  • Roaming photo booth
  • Data-free access
Days, always on
39
Malls
8
Digital challenges
5
Outlets on the dashboard
175
A red inflatable goal with scoring targets worth 5, 10 and 20 points, the in-mall game for the Coca-Cola fan park.

QR code that opens this Coca-Cola page on hellobrand.co.za.

The Coca-Cola web app on a phone: predict the score for South Africa against the USA, with the points and credits a correct prediction earns.

An opportunity Hello Brand pitched to Coca-Cola and Pareto Group, in partnership with Social Wiiv. It did not run, so there are no results.

The brief

A fast, three-month takeover of the malls, across the build-up, the tournament and the weeks after the World Cup, ending with a thank-you to the community. The mission: turn the “last three feet” of the physical retail space into busy digital touchpoints that capture data in real time.

The activation would run for 39 days, always on, 24/7, in 8 malls: Sandton City, Menlyn Park, Cresta, Southgate, Westgate, Tyger Valley, Pavilion and Mimosa Mall. Each would host 5 digital football challenges, prizes and fan rewards.

Takeover
Three months: build-up, tournament, thank-you
Activation
39 days, always on, 24/7
Where
8 malls, in the food court
Challenges
5 digital football challenges per mall
Platform
A Coca-Cola web app on Social Wiiv
Who it is for
Football fans and families visiting the mall

The idea

Concept visual: a busy mall food court with a green mini football pitch in the atrium, red Coca-Cola kiosks and banners, and crowds watching from the balconies.

Happiness begins here.

A connected loop between the food court and the phone. Mini-pitches and live viewing zones keep people in the centre of the mall. A QR code or NFC tap at the point of sale opens the Coca-Cola web app. Instant digital rewards then send customers back into the mall's shops and restaurants. Gamification turns casual mall visitors into loyal, daily app users through friendly competition.

  • Coca-Cola: football brought to life where people already gather
  • Coca-Cola: every challenge, purchase and prize in one web app
  • Coca-Cola: a growing base of first-party data
  • Pareto: longer visits and a modern omnichannel experience
  • Pareto: measurable footfall sent to specific tenants
  • Pareto: a link to a global event

In the food court

A pitch in the atrium, a target wall, Coca-Cola kiosks and free Wi-Fi: the food court becomes the fan park, and every station leads to the same web app.

A Coca-Cola target wall with scoring holes worth 50 to 150 points, a promoter in red beside a Coca-Cola kiosk, and a player diving for the ball.

Ways in

Fans join wherever they meet the brand: at a station, at the till or through a friend.

  • A red Coca-Cola kiosk with a touch screen.
    The kioskRegister and take on a challenge.
  • Coca-Cola web app registration screen with name, date of birth, gender and mobile number fields.
    QR or NFC at the tillOpens the web app.
  • The Coca-Cola Spin and Win wheel with prizes such as a cap, a T-shirt, a goodie bag and a free bottle.
    Spin & WinOne free spin on registration.
  • A photographer behind a camera on a tripod.
    The roaming photographerBuy a Coca-Cola, get your photo.

The fan's journey, start to finish

From a scan at the till to a level-up badge: six screens, all in the phone's browser, free of data charges.

Six steps

  1. Scan to open the web appA QR code or NFC tap at the point of sale opens the Coca-Cola web app. Coca-Cola web app registration screen with name, date of birth, gender and mobile number fields and a Register button.
  2. Predict the scoreFans predict match scores, and every action earns Points and Credits. Score prediction screen for South Africa against the USA, with the points and credits a correct prediction earns.
  3. Answer a pollFans answer polls, such as their ultimate matchday snack and drink combo. Poll screen asking for the ultimate matchday snack and drink combo, with five Coca-Cola food pairings to choose from.
  4. Buy in the online storeFans can buy in the app's online store, through a promoter at an event, or in a participating store. Coca-Cola online store screen listing cans and bottles, each with points and a quantity selector.
  5. Upload a till slipEvery bottle or can bought is 1 entry: fans send a photo of the till slip by WhatsApp or upload it in the web app. Capture Till Slip screen with a photographed till slip and a Submit Till Slip button.
  6. Collect badges and level upEvery action earns Points, a lifetime score that never expires and lifts fans through the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. My Badges screen with Coca-Cola Happiness Begins Here badges.
Coca-Cola web app registration screen with name, date of birth, gender and mobile number fields and a Register button.
Step 1 of 6

Earn, collect and redeem

  1. Check in where you areFans check in at a restaurant, café, supermarket, kiosk, bar, liquor store, festival or trail run, and earn for it. Coca-Cola web app check-in screen with buttons for restaurant, café, supermarket, festival, kiosk, bar, liquor store and trail run event.
  2. Invite friends on WhatsAppEvery friend who joins and verifies earns the inviter points and credits. Coca-Cola Invite a friend screen with a photo of friends on their phones and a WhatsApp invite button.
  3. Answer a quick surveyShort surveys, such as whether fans have tried the new Coca-Cola, earn points and credits each time. Coca-Cola survey screen: have you tried the new Coca-Cola, and what is your favourite social media channel, with a Submit survey button.
  4. Enter the photo challengeFans post their best shot, friends vote for it, and the photo shares straight to their social channels. Coca-Cola photo challenge screen: a group selfie of friends with likes, a Vote button and share icons.
  5. Spend points in the rewards shopPoints and credits buy Coca-Cola merchandise, such as a branded T-shirt for R650 or 6,500 points. Coca-Cola rewards shop screen: a man in a white Coca-Cola T-shirt and cap, priced R650 or 6,500 points, with a Claim button.
  6. Keep track in the walletThe wallet shows the balance and every purchase across the outlets, and tops up in a tap. Coca-Cola My Wallet screen with a R1,250 balance, a Top up button and a list of dated purchases.
  7. Get the news firstPush, in-app, WhatsApp, email and SMS messages tell fans about invitations, points earned, tickets and new challenges. Coca-Cola notifications screen listing an accepted invitation, points earned for a purchase, a confirmed ticket, a reward reminder and a game challenge.
  8. Climb the leaderboardA live leaderboard ranks the most active fans and keeps the friendly competition going. Coca-Cola leaderboard screen ranking fans by points.
Coca-Cola web app check-in screen with buttons for restaurant, café, supermarket, festival, kiosk, bar, liquor store and trail run event.
Step 1 of 8

Challenges on the pitch, a shoot-out on the phone

Each player wears an RFID wristband, so every score in the food court is captured, shown on a live leaderboard and turned into points. On the phone, a penalty shoot-out: the goal is divided into 4 zones, each player takes 5 penalties while the opponent guesses the zone, then the roles swap. Players get 6 matches a day, 3 against random opponents and 3 against friends, who have 24 hours to accept.

The challenge screens

Sixty seconds per challenge; the wristband submits the score.

  • Knee bounce challenge start screen: bounce the ball on your knee, each bounce 10 points, time limit 60 seconds.
    1. StartKnee bounce: 10 points a bounce.
  • Knee bounce challenge countdown showing 60 seconds.
    2. Sixty secondsThe clock runs on screen.
  • Knee bounce result: total bounces 23, swipe your wristband to submit your score.
    3. SubmitSwipe the wristband.
  • Header challenge: bounce the ball on your head, 10 points a bounce, 60 seconds.
    Header HeroKeep it up with your head.
  • Toe bounce challenge: hands on the floor, bounce the ball on your foot, 10 points a bounce, 60 seconds.
    Toe bounceHands on the floor.
  • Dribble challenge: dribble the ball through the cones, 10 points a cone, 60 seconds.
    DribbleThrough the cones.
  • Strike challenge: kick the ball into the targets, earn up to 1,000 points, 60 seconds.
    Target wallUp to 1,000 points.

What fans could win

  1. Instant A red Coca-Cola supporter T-shirt. Spin & Win

    Caps, T-shirts, goodie bags and a free bottle, from one free spin on registration.

  2. Rewards for Credits A gold Coca-Cola bottle-cap badge reading Gold. From an R50 voucher

    Merchandise, fan experiences, airtime and data, and vouchers such as R50 of Coca-Cola, with better rewards at the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.

  3. The proposed prize pool A red Coca-Cola metal cooler box and a small six-can cooler. 2,000 match footballs

    Plus 1,000 six-can cooler boxes, 200 under-counter beverage coolers, 100 50-litre cooler boxes and 30 football tables.

  4. The grand prize A trip for 2 to the World Cup

    Every bottle or can bought is 1 entry, drawn live at the Grand Finale party.

Every mechanic, in detail

Six mechanics, one loop: play in the mall, buy, upload, earn, come back.

Football challenges in the food court5

Fans take on skill challenges such as Header Hero (bouncing the ball on the head), knee-bounce streaks, toe bounces, dribbling and kicking at a target wall. Each player wears an RFID wristband, so every score is captured, shown on a live leaderboard and turned into points towards prizes.

Every Coca-Cola bought becomes an entry1 per bottle

Every bottle or can of Coca-Cola bought is 1 entry into a draw to win a trip for 2 to the 2026 World Cup. Fans can buy in the app's online store, through a promoter at an event, or in a participating store, then send a photo of the till slip by WhatsApp or upload it in the web app. Microsoft Azure AI reads each slip, finds the Coca-Cola products and blocks duplicates. Slips must be no older than 7 days, and one slip gives at most 10 entries. Entries build up in the fan's profile until a live digital draw at the Grand Finale party.

Capture Till Slip screen with a photographed till slip and a Submit Till Slip button.
A World Cup hub in the web app

The web app gives fans World Cup news, team and player stories, results and the full match calendar in their own time zone, with reminders before key games. Every action earns Points, a lifetime score that never expires and lifts fans through the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, and Credits, a currency they spend on rewards. Fans predict match scores, answer polls, invite friends and play the penalty shoot-out.

Rewards that send fans back into the mall

Credits are exchanged for Coca-Cola merchandise, fan experiences, airtime and data, and vouchers for Coca-Cola products and partner retailers, with better rewards at higher levels. A network of supermarkets, restaurants and fast-food outlets redeems rewards instantly.

The roaming photo booth and AI photos1 free spin

A fan who buys a Coca-Cola can have a promoter's photographer take their picture and send it to them by SMS, email or WhatsApp; registering through that link earns 1 free spin to win an instant prize. An AI photo booth, in the mall or in the app, turns fans into proud supporters of the South African national team, in the stands.

Open to every fan, with or without data

Reverse billing lets fans open the web app on their mobile network without using their own data or airtime, and free Wi-Fi in the mall connects them on the spot, so no one is left out of the promotions and competitions. Fans hear from the campaign through push and in-app notifications, WhatsApp, email and SMS.

Promoters, photographers and the photo booth

Promoters in Coca-Cola red run the Spin & Win, sell through their own link in the app and register fans on the spot; a roaming photographer turns a purchase into a photo worth sharing.

Four promoters in red Coca-Cola shirts and caps beside a Spin and Win wheel in a mall.
Promoters with the Spin & Win wheel.
A photographer behind a camera on a tripod.
The roaming photographer.
AI-generated photo: a smiling fan in a South African flag scarf raises a can of Coca-Cola in a floodlit stadium, surrounded by supporters in yellow.
An AI supporter photo.
Two football fans in red shirts cheer in front of a red background, one holding a bottle of Coca-Cola.
Fans, cheering.

What we proposed

Every scan, sip and score, measured.

This opportunity was pitched, not run, so there are no results. These are the measures it set out.

  • Live dashboards

    • Verified registrations
    • Dwell time
    • Conversions across all 175 outlets
    • For marketing, brand, trade and activation teams

  • Fan engagement

    • Challenge scores and leaderboards
    • Verified purchases and draw entries
    • Campaign performance in real time
    • Exports for stakeholders

  • First-party data

    • POPIA-compliant data captured at the point of intent
    • Synced by API to Coca-Cola's customer data platform
    • Footfall directed to mall tenants

Coca-Cola World Cup dashboard

What it will measure

39 days · sample

Example dashboard Mostly sample data, not campaign results. This was a proposal, so there are no results. The 8 malls, the 5 challenges and the 175 outlets on the dashboard are from the case study. Those figures are tagged From the case study; everything tagged Sample is made up to show how the dashboard works, and is replaced by real figures once they are reported.

  • Sample

    41,862

    Verified registrations

  • Sample

    38 min

    Dwell time

  • Sample

    61,940

    Verified purchases and draw entries

  • Sample

    12,906

    Footfall directed to mall tenants

Live dashboards

  • Sample

    41,862

    Verified registrations

    Fans registered and verified in the Coca-Cola web app

  • Sample

    38 min

    Dwell time

    Average time in the mall for fans who took part

  • Sample

    9,734

    Conversions across all 175 outlets

    App purchases and rewards redeemed at the outlets on the dashboard

  • From the case study

    8

    Malls

    Food courts hosting the mini-pitches

  • From the case study

    175

    Outlets on the dashboard

    Outlets reporting to the live dashboards

Verified registrations, by mall
Average dwell time a week (minutes)
Registrations, by way in
  • The kiosk 41%
  • QR or NFC at the till 33%
  • The roaming photographer 14%
  • A friend's invite 12%

Fan engagement

  • Sample

    61,940

    Verified purchases and draw entries

    Draw entries from verified till slips, one per bottle or can

  • Sample

    27,315

    Verified till slips

    Slips read, checked for duplicates and accepted

  • Sample

    126,480

    Challenge scores and leaderboards

    Scores banked with the RFID wristbands across the 5 challenges

Draw entries, week by week (running total)
Scores banked, by challenge
Till slips, by channel
  • WhatsApp 64%
  • Web app upload 36%

First-party data

  • Sample

    12,906

    Footfall directed to mall tenants

    Rewards redeemed at the mall's shops and restaurants

  • Sample

    38,517

    Synced by API to Coca-Cola's customer data platform

    Verified profiles synced, with POPIA consent

Footfall to tenants, by type
Rewards redeemed at tenants a week
Registrations synced

of verified registrations synced to the customer data platform, with consent

Rand values excl. VAT. Figures tagged Sample are for illustration only: not results from this or any campaign.

How it would start

Three steps from yes to kick-off.

  1. Scoping: map the busiest atriums and digital spaces in key Pareto malls, such as Menlyn Park and Sandton City
  2. Technical integration: align the Social Wiiv platform with Pareto's retail network, Wi-Fi and physical footprint
  3. Phased rollout: finalise the three-month plan across the build-up, the tournament and the closing moments

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