Summary
- Campaign: #LiftTheFeeling
- Creative Agency: McCann Worldgroup India, supervised by Prasoon Joshi.
- Director: Hemant Bhandari.
- Production House: Chrome Pictures.
- Strategic Context: This was a “desi” (local) rendition of a global campaign that had previously featured a famous DJ in the international version. It aimed to position Coca-Cola as an “ice-breaker” in awkward or everyday situations.
Ad plot
The Coca-Cola “Elevator” advertisement featuring Deepika Padukone was released in 2017 as part of the brand’s global “Taste the Feeling” campaign. The ad, titled #LiftTheFeeling, was designed to show how a simple bottle of Coke can break the ice and create shared moments between strangers.
- The commercial opens with Deepika Padukone (playing herself) escaping a frenzy of fans and media outside a hotel by rushing into an elevator.
- Inside, she finds a young room service attendant (housekeeper) with a trolley. The elevator abruptly breaks down, leaving the two stranded together.
- As the fan inside the elevator stops working and the temperature rises, Deepika appears flustered and removes her jacket. The attendant pulls out a chilled bottle of Coca-Cola from his trolley and offers it to her.
- After sharing the drink, the tension breaks. Deepika puts on music from her phone, and the two engage in a playful, upbeat dance session.
- Once the elevator is fixed, the attendant asks for a selfie with her. Later, he looks at the photo only to find that Deepika’s face is completely hidden by the bottle of Coke she was holding.
Reception & Recall
The campaign was highly successful, garnering over 20 million views on social media within two days of its digital launch before airing on television during the IPL. Critics and audiences praised the ad for its storytelling and the chemistry between the superstar and the everyday character.
