Coca-Cola promotes ways to enjoy the World Cup Haruka Ayase scores 4 free kicks!

Also starting that day, Coca-Cola began airing three TV commercials featuring actress Haruka Ayase, the face of Coca-Cola, depicting how the product makes watching the FIFA World Cup more special.

On the 10th, a PR event was held at Bellesalle Roppongi in Minato Ward, Tokyo, attended by Ayase and former soccer coach Takeshi Okada, owner of FC Imabari.

Okada will appear in the "Score Prediction" commercial scheduled for release in mid-June. Ayase commented, "Each commercial shows a different way to use the Number Bottle, so please pay attention to that. Mr. Okada's expressions were exquisite, and his timing was wonderful."

The Number Bottle features a label displaying one number from 0 to 9, allowing for diverse usage. The commercials depict scenes such as friends from school days exchanging basketball team uniform numbers as gifts, and a bottle bearing the number of Ayase's birth weight being presented.

Ayase added with excitement, "It'd be fun if people chose their favorite number to drink from, and hearing stories about their favorite numbers would be interesting."

As part of this campaign, a World Cup limited edition "Slim Bottle" will also be released on June 4th. It represents the host countries of all six tournaments from France '98 to the current one. When Ayase mentioned, "The support using vuvuzelas at the South Africa tournament left an impression," Okada revealed, "The vuvuzelas were so loud that voices from the bench couldn't be heard, which was tough."

At the venue, under Okada's guidance, Ayase attempted a free kick. The sheer power of her shot sent the crowd into an uproar. "I guess I'm not very good at soccer," Ayase said shyly. Okada instructed her, "Keep your eyes firmly on the ball right up until the moment you kick."

As a result, while she didn't hit all five targets she aimed for (5, 0, 9, inspired by "Coke"), she impressively hit four boards, including the 9. Okada praised Ayase's free kick, saying, "Hitting the board itself is quite difficult, so hitting several is amazing. She hit not just the bottom row but also the second row."

Ayase then playfully challenged Okada, saying, "You should try it too!" When Okada took his free kick, she shouted, "Not hard enough!" sending the venue into fits of laughter.

After working up a sweat with the free kicks, the two toasted with Coca-Cola poured by Ayase. They savored the refreshing taste of the ice-filled glasses, quenching their thirst. Okada commented, "Ayase-san is exactly the same in person as she is on TV. She's always so natural."

Ayase remarked, "Mr. Okada is very calm and observant, with a unique perspective. Filming was fun," concluding, "I hope everyone enjoys watching the World Cup more by playing with the numbers on the Number Bottles, just like in the commercial."

The campaign also features the "Number Bottle Challenge," where participants answer questions using the numbers depicted on the product labels. One number-related trivia question is posed daily. Winners will be selected by lottery from correct answers, with prizes including customizable number T-shirts (total of 25,000 winners).

 

 

Official Website: http://www.cocacola.jp/