BIMA Awards 2006 - Best Website

As part of its first global brand repositioning for more than two decades, Coke rolled out a new global web site across 40 countries and multiple languages. The relaunch, developed by digital agency AKQA, represented one of Coke's most ambitious online projects to date.

The objective for the new site was to represent and support the new 'Coke Side of Life' brand positioning, which is all about optimism and positivity. Coke wanted to make sure the brand continued to be relevant to today's youth, and therefore decided to tap into the growing popularity of user-generated content sites such as MySpace and YouTube by inspiring and providing consumers with the tools to create their own content around the Coke brand.

The new web site, which went live on 9 July this year, sets visitors a series of regular challenges, largely focused around youth passions such as music, sport and gaming. A 'studio' section on the web site arms users with the tools to create their own content around the Coke brand.

The new web site, which went live on 9 July this year, sets visitors a series of regular challenges, largely focused around youth passions such as music, sport and gaming. A 'studio' section on the web site arms users with the tools to create their own content, such as short films. All contributions can be viewed in the 'stage' area of the web site and visitors can vote for their favourite.

The first challenge on the site asked users: if you could bottle the essence of you in a bottle and share it with the world, what story would you tell?

Judges described the 'Coke Side of Life' web site as a "brave new approach for Coca-Cola online".