Latest news with #RefreshYourGalaxy
Business Insider
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Disney and Coca-Cola Stock Look to Strike Back with Star Wars Push
Coca-Cola (KO) and Disney (DIS) aren't just celebrating 70 years of partnership, they're reigniting two of the most recognizable brands on Earth at a time when both could use a bit of magic in their stock stories. The launch of Coca-Cola's new Star Wars -themed campaign, 'Refresh Your Galaxy,' isn't just a fizzy nostalgia play. It's a calculated brand offensive with shareholder implications. Confident Investing Starts Here: Brand Equity Goes Galactic At first glance, it's collectible cans and hologram gimmicks. But zoom out. You've got 30 limited-edition Coke designs hitting shelves in global markets from Asia to the Americas. It's not just about fans collecting, it's about reigniting emotional loyalty with one of the most commercially powerful fanbases in history. For Coca-Cola, this kind of cross-generational marketing doesn't just spike short-term sales. It builds long-term equity. We're talking retail uplift, social media engagement, and maybe most importantly: pricing power. Limited edition packaging gives Coke a reason to flex its premium branding muscle in an increasingly competitive beverage landscape. And yes, collectors will buy more than one. Disney's Content Flywheel Gets New Fuel On the other side of the can: Disney (DIS). The House of Mouse is juicing the Star Wars IP across platforms. From cinema ads to in-park exclusives, this campaign is a masterclass in ecosystem monetization. Theme park traffic? Boosted. Coke's exclusive designs are only available at Disney parks in Florida and California. That's incremental spend on-site, plus food, merch, and everything else that comes with a theme park visit. Disney also wins from eyeballs. The ad spot, a crowd of cosplayers using Coke bottles as lightsabers in a theater screening A New Hope, is engineered to go viral. Viral means reach, and reach means more subscriptions, more merch, more ticket sales. The Impact on Disney and Coca-Cola Stock For Coca-Cola, this isn't just brand theater. It's a margin story. Limited editions help drive volume, but more importantly, they support pricing in an inflation-heavy environment where differentiation matters. If the campaign drives even a modest increase in global sales velocity, it could meaningfully impact earnings, particularly in emerging markets where brand-led growth is key. For Disney, the campaign is a reminder that Star Wars remains a crown jewel, and a lever that can pull revenue across theme parks, streaming, merchandise, and more. In a year when Disney's streaming margins are under scrutiny and parks face post-COVID normalization, multi-channel campaigns like this offer synergistic upside. Is Coca-Cola a Good Stock to Buy? According to 16 Wall Street analysts, Coca-Cola is firmly in 'Strong Buy' territory. The consensus includes 15 Buy ratings and one Hold, with zero Sell recommendations in sight. The average 12-month KO price target is $79.53, a healthy 14.2% upside from its current level of $69.64. Why it matters? A global campaign tied to Star Wars nostalgia and AR-driven social engagement doesn't just move hearts, it moves units. If this cross-promotional campaign lands well (and early signs suggest it will), it could drive volume, especially in international markets where brand saturation still has room to grow. Is Disney a Good Stock to Buy? Meanwhile, Disney isn't far behind in analyst confidence. Out of 19 ratings, 15 are Buys, four are Holds, and, again, zero Sells. The average 12-month DIS price target of $125.12 suggests 3% upside from the current price of $121.61. Star Wars continues to be one of Disney's most monetizable IPs, from box office and streaming to parks and now partnerships. The AR campaign with Coca-Cola amplifies that flywheel, driving engagement in a way that touches nearly every corner of Disney's ecosystem, from Disney+ subscribers to theme park foot traffic.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I just got a first look at Coca-Cola's new Star Wars cans and AR holograms — and both are cooler than you'd expect
Blue milk might be Star Wars canon, but for fans like me here on Earth, Coca-Cola is a little more iconic. Now, Star Wars and Coca-Cola are coming together in a new collaboration featuring 30 collectible character cans and an AR experience that turns you into a hologram — and I got an early look at it all. In what's being called the 'Refresh Your Galaxy' campaign (the corresponding, easter egg-laden video can be watched here), Coca-Cola is releasing a limited-edition collection of new cans and bottles featuring bespoke character designs from all corners of the Star Wars universe. There are classics like Darth Vader and C-3PO, all the way through icons from Disney+ series like Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano. There are some particularly charming nods across the lineup of Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero cans and bottles. My favorite is a toss up between Leia from the sequel trilogy (I still get emotional over the late Carrie Fisher) and K-2SO, the hilariously blunt former Imperial security droid we met in Rogue One but more recently got to seem more of in Andor Season 2. Here's what (or should I say, who) to expect to see in full collection: It's worth noting that some characters will only be available on Coca-Cola products sold at Disneyland and Disney World parks: The Mandalorian and Grogu; First Order Stormtrooper; and Chewbacca. In other words, avid collectors may want to plan a trip to Galaxy's Edge for sometime after July 7, which is when the collaboration will officially roll out. (And yes, a 7/7 launch date is almost definitely a nod to A New Hope's 1977 release.) But that's not all. Refresh Your Galaxy includes a new augmented reality experience accessed by scanning a can or downloading the special campaign app. It lets you record yourself as a Star Wars-style hologram, complete with glowing blue projection lines and subtle signal interference as though you're being projected by R2-D2. As part of the experience you can choose a character type like Jedi, Sith or even Twi'lek, then record a short message and watch it beam into surroundings through a smartphone camera. I always knew I'd make an excellent Stormtrooper, but that didn't make seeing my face under the helmet any less awesome. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Together, the collectible cans and AR hologram feature hit that sweet spot between nostalgia and innovation that, to me, keep fans of all ages in mind. Whether you're into the thrill of tracking down every character design for a collection or just want to drop a hologram version of yourself into your group chat reporting from the Black Spire Outpost, this campaign is one of the most thoughtful Star War collaborations of recent years.
