Beijing ranks as largest Olympic push for Coke

The athletes weren’t the only ones setting records at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. wrapped up this week its largest Olympic effort ever. Before the Games began, Coke and other Olympic sponsors came under fire from some human rights groups in Europe and the United States.

But inside China, the Games provided access to more than 1.3 billion consumers. Coke, an Olympic supporter since 1928, estimates these Olympics helped it make more than a half-billion consumer connections in the country.

A key part of the campaign was simply introducing as many Chinese as possible to a properly chilled bottle or can of Coke.

• 10,000: Daily visitors for the Coca-Cola Shuang Experience Center, an attraction in the Olympic Green highlighting Coke history and products.
• 260 million: Downloads of the Coca-Cola Olympic song.
• 310 million: Votes cast in Coca-Cola China’s selection of inspirational torchbearers.
• 26 million: Images submitted for a Coca-Cola Olympic photo mosaic.
• 100 million: People along the Coke-sponsored torch run as it wound its way through 109 cities, touching every Chinese province.
• 26 million: Consumers served an ice cold Coca-Cola along the torch route, making it the largest sampling program ever for Coke.