Coca-Cola Joins Toys for Tots at Hollywood Christmas Parade, Makes Holiday Wishes Come True for Families in Need

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Coca-Cola's tradition of helping to bring the Hollywood Christmas Parade to Los Angeles continued this year, with an added holiday bonus. This year, the parade served as a springboard for Coca-Cola's national partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. Through the partnership, Coca-Cola presented $120,000 to the National Toys for Tots Program. $15,000 of which, along with a PlayStation 3® and a PlayStation Move® motion controller, was presented to the local Terminal Island Toys for Tots organization to help provide underprivileged kids in Los Angeles with gifts this holiday season.

B-roll footage of the presentation can be viewed here: http://grandmunky.com/coca-cola/cola_tots.mov

Los Angeles is one of eight cities receiving a $15,000 donation as part of the national program. A remaining seven cities across the country will also be receiving $15,000 donations, totaling $120,000 in support of Toys for Tots helping underprivileged kids across the country this holiday season. In Los Angeles, parade guests supported Coca-Cola's donation by contributing toys for children in need and taking part in Coca-Cola's MyCokeRewards.com online gift drive.

"Today's donations at the Hollywood Christmas Parade provided community members an opportunity to celebrate the spirit of giving and help brighten the holidays for families in need," said Terry Fitch, Senior Vice President and General Manager, West Region, Coca-Cola Refreshments. "The Parade is a place where families and friends can Open Happiness and enjoy the magic of the holiday season together. Our goal with these donations is to spread holiday cheer that will last well beyond today's festivities."

For those unable to attend today's Parade, Coca-Cola kicked off the fourth year of its partnership with Toys for Tots with an online gift drive on MyCokeRewards.com. The program promotes the magic of giving by encouraging people to donate their My Coke Rewards points to generate gifts for underprivileged kids. Participating is easy for anyone, anywhere. From now through the end of the year, My Coke Rewards points – which can be found under caps and on packaging of more than 60 Coca-Cola North America products – may be donated to Toys for Tots at www.mycokerewards.com. As the donations accumulate, Toys for Tots will redeem the points for a variety of gifts. With a goal of raising five million points, the program will enable Toys for Tots to put thousands of gifts into the hands of children and teens in need this year.

Coca-Cola and Hollywood Christmas Parade

During these times of family togetherness Coca-Cola aims to give people a reason to cheer, open some happiness and share the magic of the holidays. The iconic Hollywood Christmas Parade allows Coca-Cola to do just that.

No other brand has been so closely tied to the holiday season, the happiness it evokes and Santa than Coca-Cola. In keeping with tradition, Coca-Cola once again sponsored the Santa Claus float, a reminder of the importance of celebrating happiness, togetherness and giving during the holiday season.

In 1931, Sundblom was commissioned by Coca-Cola to illustrate the image of Santa Claus for a magazine advertising campaign.  His distinctive interpretation of St. Nick depicted a merry gentleman with rosy cheeks, a fluffy white beard and a red outfit with a large black belt. Since that time, the Coca-Cola Santa has become a universal image of the jolly old elf associated with Christmas and Coca-Cola that is recognized around the world.

Coca-Cola and the Holidays

Coca-Cola is also bringing the joy of the holidays to people across the country in a number of other ways this season, including:

• Holiday Commercial — Refreshing a tradition of compelling holiday campaigns, The Coca-Cola Company introduced a new, global holiday television commercial which will be aired in more than 90 countries around the world. The commercial, entitled "Snow Globe," features iconic Coca-Cola holiday imagery including Santa Claus, the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan delivery trucks and the Coca-Cola Polar Bear, as well as a new song, "Shake Up Christmas," written and performed by the Grammy Award-winning band Train. The spot features several vignettes of individuals, living in a snow globe sitting on Santa's desk, who are feeling separated from friends and family. While taking a break to enjoy a Coca-Cola, Santa is inspired to pick up the snow globe and gently tilt it, creating a chain of events which reunites the lonely individuals with their friends and family.
• Holiday Packaging — Coca-Cola multi-packs, cans and 2-liter bottles carry through the theme introduced by the new holiday commercial by bearing an image of Santa enjoying a bottle of Coca-Cola inside a snow globe.  Additionally, several Coca-Cola trademark brands, including Diet Coke, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke, Sprite, Sprite Zero and Coca-Cola Zero are celebrating the season by featuring festive images of snowflakes or evergreen trees. Packaging, which features instructions on how people can win PlayStation 3® and PlayStation Move® motion controllers through My Coke Rewards, is currently available in stores.
• Special Offers — In select markets around the county, special Coca-Cola holiday displays will be stocked with complimentary coupon booklets. These booklets feature high-value coupons for important holiday meal items from brands like Campbell's, Hidden Valley, Pepperidge Farm and Coca-Cola. The displays were installed in early November, and the coupons will expire Jan. 15.

About The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

Toys for Tots, a 63-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness and hope to economically disadvantaged children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books and other gifts collected and distributed by the Marines offer these children recognition, confidence and positive memories for a lifetime. It is such experiences that help children become responsible citizens and caring members of their community. Last year the Marine Corps fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of 7.4 million less fortunate children in nearly 700 communities nationwide. For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.

About My Coke Rewards

With more than 15 million registered members, www.mycokerewards.com is one of the top consumer packaged goods loyalty websites and the number one beverage website in the U.S. My Coke Rewards helps consumers find lots of little and big things that put a smile on their faces every time they enjoy a Coca-Cola product. Consumers may join My Coke Rewards by going online and setting up a rewards account at www.mycokerewards.com  Members then accumulate points by entering the My Coke Rewards codes found under the cap or on the inside flap of fridge packs of any of the hundreds of participating Coca-Cola products in a variety of brands and sizes. My Coke Rewards codes may also be found on bonus offers on cups, scratch cards and coupons. Members then easily redeem rewards for great prizes and gifts, enter sweepstakes or donate points to their local school, favorite charity or cause. Since its inception in 2006, My Coke Rewards members have entered more than one billion codes from participating brands.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®, vitaminwater®, Powerade®, Minute Maid®, Simply® and Georgia®. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

SOURCE Coca-Cola North America