Sure, the John Lewis advert may have charm and solid Britishness behind it, but we all know that only one advert truly heralds the coming of Christmas. No brand seems more befitting to spread Christmassy cheer in red and white, after all, than the already red-and-white-clad Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck has graced our screens since 1995, and it’s once again embarking on a tour around the UK. That most wondrous blend of Christmas and capitalism rolled into London last weekend (November 26-27) , bringing with it a winter wonderland experience and a charitable endeavour to spread the festive cheer to all. But they’ll be coming right back on December 1, for those who missed out!
The ever-iconic ‘Holidays Are Coming’ Christmas advert is set to start running on British screens in from the end of November onwards, and Coca-Cola will hit the road to bring the joy to the nation. At each stop along the tour, they’ll be rolling out a winter wonderland with plenty of experiences for visitors to enjoy. There will be giggle-inducing ‘elfie selfie’ shots, QR codes giving guests access to interactive games, and food huts that will serve up delicious seasonal bites. As an added incentive to visit the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck’s festive wonderland, every visit will count towards supporting charities that assist those experiencing food poverty.
“Your Presence is Your Present”
Every visitor to the experience will find Coca-Cola in turn funding the equivalent of one meal for a person in need – up to 100,000 meals. And to kickstart it all, they’ve already donated the equivalent of 100,000 meals to FareShare. They hope to match that initial donation and fund the equivalent of 200,000 meals to those in need.
Additionally, this year finds Coca‑Cola collaborating with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and NaviLens to make its packaging accessible for blind and partially sighted people. It’s all about giving, caring, and inclusion this year on the tour.
Coca-Cola Christmas Truck tour stops
We reckon it’ll be pretty hard to miss a 13-tonne truck bedecked in almost nine thousand lights, but we’ll give you the details anyway. The tour kicked off as the Christmas Truck made its first stop in Bluewater, Kent, on November 25, before heading over to Beckton, London on November 26 & 27. The truck is now scheduled to also stop by at Wembley Park on December 1.They’ll then drive on up to Dublin, Ireland, to hang out from December 8 – 10, before parking in Belfast, Northern Ireland, from December 16-17.
Also published on Medium.