Coca-Cola Teams Up with Riot Games to Introduce League of Legends-Inspired Soft Drink
In an unprecedented collaboration, global soft drink giant Coca-Cola has joined forces with gaming developer Riot Games to create a limited-edition flavour of their iconic beverage inspired by the popular online game League of Legends.
This groundbreaking partnership signifies Coca-Cola’s first foray into the world of gaming for flavour creation. To commemorate the occasion, League of Legends players will have the opportunity to embark on in-game missions and access exclusive emotes. However, the collaboration doesn’t end in the virtual realm. Coca-Cola is taking the experience to the streets by dropping real-life Nexus crystals in several major cities worldwide, including Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Mexico City.
Named ‘+XP,’ the new flavour is the latest addition to Coca-Cola’s line of ‘creations’ introduced this year. Previous collaborations included partnerships with Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía, electronic music artist Marshmello, and the cosmic-inspired Coca-Cola Starlight.
Riot Games is equally invested in this venture, introducing Coke-themed objectives that unlock limited-edition Ultimate emotes within the League of Legends game. The activations have already gone live and will be accessible until June 18th. Additionally, players can even transform themselves into their favourite League of Legends heroes by utilising Coca-Cola’s Instagram filter and taking a selfie.
Promising “the taste of experience points,” the League of Legends ‘Ultimate’ flavour is presented in a traditional plastic Coke bottle, adorned with a golden plastic wrap featuring the Coca-Cola logo. While the specific flavour profile remains undisclosed, it has been confirmed that it will only be available in select markets, including the United States and Canada.
This partnership is not the first time Coca-Cola has collaborated with Riot Games. The company was a founding partner of the League of Legends: Wild Rift esports scene, working to create unique experiences for fans within the mobile game’s esports circuit. Coca-Cola has also sponsored the Esports Awards and joined forces with British esports organisation Guild Esports.
Oana Vlad, Senior Director of Global Strategy at The Coca-Cola Company, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “This collaboration with Riot Games allows us to continue elevating the Coca-Cola Creations platform with a brand new flavour that reinforces our shared mission to put fans and players at the forefront of everything we do. Coca-Cola Ultimate, our seventh Coca-Cola Creation, carries an astonishing design, unlocks the taste of +XP for players on their journey, and enhances their gameplay experience.”
As Coca-Cola embraces the world of gaming through this groundbreaking collaboration, it paves the way for other beverage companies to explore partnerships within the thriving gaming industry. With an increasingly interconnected landscape between virtual and real-life experiences, these collaborations are set to engage and captivate fans in new and exciting ways, further blurring the lines between the physical and digital realms.
