Coca-Cola’s bottles have a code printed on their label that allows customer to access content within the EA Sports FIFA 2018 video game. Credit: Coca-Cola European Partners.

Coca-Cola European Partners has released a new packaging across its portfolio ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup starting next June.

The brand is one of the official sponsors of the football competition and its products will feature an on-pack promotion that is reportedly designed to appeal to the 14 million people who are expected to follow the World Cup.

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In a partnership with sports gaming company EA Sports, Coca-Cola’s Zero Sugar and Classic drinks will have a code printed on promotional labels from 30 April to 17 June.

Customers will be able to enter the code online to access in-game content within the EA Sports FIFA 2018 game for Xbox One and PlayStation4 consoles, as well as have the chance to win a player and Coca-Cola jersey for their team.

The move comes after market research showed that over half of the world’s population will be watching this year’s tournament. Coca-Cola said the promotion will help retailers increase soft drinks sales by capitalising on the popularity of football and of FIFA as a gaming franchise.

These promotional packs will appear on the 330ml cans and 500ml PET bottles, which will also be available in a PMP format. Coca-Cola will also be launching a £2.5 million marketing campaign to support the promotion of the products, which will include point of sale, digital, social and out-of-home advertising.

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Coca-Cola European Partners customer marketing director Simon Harrison said: “89% of consumers watched the 2016 UEFA Euros at home and 33% consumed soft drinks during matches. Our latest promotion is designed to capture the excitement of the nation ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup by partnering with the world’s biggest sporting game and helping retailers build their soft drink sales by appealing to the many football fans in Great Britain.”

The company is a long-term sponsor of major international football competitions and often produces special-edition bottles in honour of the tournaments. For example, during the UEFA Euro 2016, which took place in France, Coca-Cola launched a range of sticker labels in partnership with football collectible publisher Panini.

For the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the soft drinks giant created 18 mini-bottles with labels representing past and future host countries like Argentina, Japan, Russia and Qatar.