Coca-Cola uses tape-ball cricket to compete with Pepsi in Pakistan

COCA-COLA is aiming to gain attention during Pakistan’s biggest cricket event in nearly 30 years, looking to challenge Pepsi, the official sponsor of the national team, by tapping into the country's passion for tape-ball cricket.

Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy, marking a major international cricket event in the country after decades.

Foreign teams had stopped touring Pakistan following the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus, with matches only resuming in 2018.

With the tournament seen as a major marketing opportunity, brands are looking to capitalise on the event.

Since Coca-Cola cannot sponsor the Pakistan team due to Pepsi’s existing partnership, it has launched a campaign using a limited-edition bottle to connect with cricket fans through tape-ball cricket, a popular street version of the game.

An Urdu-language advertisement shows a young man walking into a store and asking for a tennis ball and electrical tape, commonly used to make a fast-moving ball for street cricket. The store clerk hands him a ball and a Coke bottle.

"What's this?" the customer asks, and the clerk responds with a smile and a nod. The customer then finds red tape hidden behind the bottle's label and wraps it around the ball as he leaves the shop.

Tape-ball cricket is widely played on the streets of Pakistan and is seen as an entry point into the sport. Many of the country’s top cricketers started with tape-ball before moving to professional cricket.

"I love tape-ball cricket, so I admit it's a cool campaign," said Muhammad Shoaib, a 20-year-old engineering student from Karachi.

Coca-Cola described the campaign as "a nostalgic, feel-good experience for anyone who has ever played street cricket in Pakistan."

The bottles will be available at select stores in major cities, the company said.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi together hold over 80 per cent of the market share for carbonated drinks in Pakistan, according to an industry report.

However, both brands have faced consumer boycotts in Muslim-majority countries since the Gaza war began in October.

"It's done a pretty good job of wrapping (the ball)," said Maaz Ahmed, 19, after using the tape from the Coke bottle. "But I'll probably add some more tape from my own roll back home."

Pakistan last hosted a major cricket tournament in 1996 when it co-hosted the World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

The country was set to co-host the 2011 Cricket World Cup but was removed from the list after the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus.

(With inputs from Reuters)