March 20 – World Cup sponsor Coca-Cola North America has unveiled a collaboration with Panini America, embedding official World Cup stickers directly inside Coca-Cola bottle labels. The activation transforms buying a Coca-Cola product into an entry point into one of football’s most enduring rituals.
Panini’s iconic World Cup stickers will be distributed through select Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 20-oz bottles. Fans peel back the label to reveal a randomly inserted sticker.
“Coca-Cola has always played a role in bringing people together during the world’s biggest moments in sport,” said Shakir Moin, chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America.
“As the FIFA World Cup comes to North America for the first time in more than three decades, we saw an opportunity to introduce a global fan ritual to a new generation – one that celebrates the joy of collecting, the thrill of the reveal, and the shared passion that unites fans everywhere.”
More than one billion special-edition stickers will be distributed globally, with 12 international stars featured, including Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Virgil van Dijk, and Weston McKennie. Collectors can place them on a dedicated Coca-Cola page within the official tournament sticker album or scan them into the Panini Digital App to build a parallel digital collection.
By embedding Panini’s 50-year sticker legacy into its packaging, Coca-Cola is effectively turning distribution into engagement.
“Panini stickers are more than collectibles – they’re a shared tradition that connects generations of fans to the FIFA World Cup,” said Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America. “Partnering with Coca-Cola allows us to introduce that tradition to even more fans in North America in a way that feels accessible, exciting, and truly celebratory.”
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