It’s hard to miss them if you’ve been to sari-sari stores or groceries lately: Coca-Cola plastic bottles with names on it. 

One store I went to recently had Coke 500 ml bottles with names such as Bianca, Armando, Sharon, Fernando. Other bottles had words like Champions and Barkada (Friends).  

Another store had mini-Coke plastic bottles (190 ml) with the names Ahia, Gabby, and Noemi. 

Coca-Cola Philippines, now owned by Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) in partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Plc (CCEP), rolled out this month a new version of the brand’s Share a Coke international campaign. 

Coca-Cola hopes people will buy a bottle if they see their name on it, or see words on the bottle that are good for sharing, such as “Bestie” (Best Friend), “Beshies” (Best Friends), “Sis” (Sister), “Bro” (Male friend), “Lodi” (Idol), “Makulit” (Pesky), “Pogi” (Handsome), or “Tropa” (Team).

The chances of finding a bottle with your name on it are low, especially if it’s an uncommon one. When the first Share a Coke was launched in the Philippines in 2014, there were only 250 names used. 

If you really want a bottle with your name on it, you can join the Share a Coke Caravan in schools and malls scheduled from May 16 to July 31, 2025. 

This weekend, the roadshow is at BGC Amphitheater and in SM City Lipa from May 24 to May 25. No, BINI won’t be there since they’re currently on a world tour. This weekend, May 25, Bini is in London after the first stop of their concert tour in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on May 18.

To get a free Coca-Cola 500 ml bottle with your name on it, you’ll first have to buy a minimum of P200 of select Coca-Cola products. The purchases can be made in Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke Share Con 2025 roadshows or in select stores near the roadshow venue. The promo is on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to the limit of customized bottles for the event. On May 26, the roadshow will be at PHINMA Upang College Urdaneta and Pangsinan State University, and in Cagayan State Unversity and the Tabacalera Open Area on May 28. 

Another way to join is to buy a Share a Coke group mean bundle worth a minimum of P499 from select participating restaurants near the roadshow venue. Minors from 13 to 17 years old can join as long as they have the consent of their parents or guardians. 

Coca-Cola tapped the most popular Filipino girl group, BINI, as endorser of the campaign, and this has gotten many young people excited to look for bottles with the names of their favorite BINI members — Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, Sheena — as well as their fans’ group name, Blooms. 

“[I’m] Ready na ako to collect BINI’s names on a Coke Bottle!” said netizen Moran Erin on Coca-Cola Philippines’ Facebook page. 

“Okay, BRB! On my way to the grocery baka maubasan pa ako will look for my bias — BINI Gwen ,” said netizen Patricia See. 

(Okay, be right back! On my way to the grocery cause it might run out… will look for my bias BINI Gwen.)

Global impact

The Share a Coke marketing campaign was initiated by Coca-Cola Australia in 2011, which the beverage company says, “made an impact on a global scale.” 

The 2025 iteration is targeted at the GenZs (born between 1997 and 2015) seeking “authentic connection in an increasingly digital world.” 

“Share a Coke will encourage this audience to tap into the nostalgia of personalizing a can of Coca‑Cola as a creative way to show their friends, loved ones and community that they see them — a reminder that all it takes to spark a connection is a simple act of sharing,” the company says. 

Personalization, according to analysts, is an effective marketing tool that helps build a loyal relationship between a brand and the youth.

The Share a Coke campaign is returning amid stronger competition in the general beverage market. Iced tea continues to be a popular alternative to carbonated soft drinks, and there’s been an uptrend in demand for iced coffee and other coffee products.

New partnership

Aboitiz conglomerate AEV and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Plc (CCEP) acquired in February 2024 Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, the exclusive bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products in the Philippines, for $1.8 billion. 

The partnership, with AEV owning 40% and CCEP having the majority stake of 60%, rebranded in January 2025 and adopted the name Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines Incorporated (CCEAP). 

The company has 20 brands in the Philippines, including Coca-Cola, Royal, Sprite, Wilkins, Schweppes, Minute Maid, Monster, Fuze Tea, Nutri Boost, Predator, and Lemon Dou.

Coca-Cola’s carbonated soft drinks dominate company sales in the Philippines making up 83% followed by bottled water at 15%.

The company’s three best selling products in the Philippines are Coca-Cola Original, bottled water Wilkins, and Royal or Royal Tru-Orange. The last two are unique to the Philippines. 

Coca-Cola’s main distribution system in the Philippines is via the country’s 1.2 million sari-sari stores. It also supplies 32,000 modern retail outlets such as groceries, supermarkets, and convenience stores. 

The soft drinks market in the Philippines is valued at around P62 billion, and Coca-Cola is the leading beverage supplier with 18 manufacturing plants and 80 sales offices. It has 9,000 employees in the Philippines, which has the second largest population in Southeast Asia next to Indonesia. 

The Philippines was the first market to sell Coca-Cola outside the Americas. This was in 1927 when San Miguel Corporation (then San Miguel Brewery) first imported Coca-Cola from the US. San Miguel became the first international bottler of Coca-Cola. – Rappler.com