MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Coke Studio Philippines has reshaped the Filipino music scene by bridging genres, artists, and fandoms—creating a platform where collaborations spark and new sounds emerge. Coke Studio is Coca-Cola’s way of reaching its various consumers through another touchpoint—one that resonates as much as the beloved refreshing drink itself.
“When we launched Coke Studio in 2017, our objective was to really set up a platform for Filipino musical talents to be seen and heard in the industry,” began Adrian Manlapig, Marketing Director for Coca-Cola Philippines. “We envisioned working with emerging and iconic talents, and we want this to really put the spotlight on our local musical talents.” He also shared that cross-collaboration between culture and music was the main intent of Coke Studio, with music as the main vehicle.
Over the years, Coke Studio has been a hotbed of musical innovation, constantly evolving to embrace new trends, technologies, and tastes. It has grown into a vibrant stage for collaboration, connecting fans in the Philippines to the artists they love.
What innovation means for Coke Studio
Innovation is a trait seen clearly in each effort that Coca-Cola makes for all of its products and marketing strategies. “We always remember to put consumers at the heart of what we do,” Adrian led off. “We’ve had a lot of initiatives to make sure that Coca-Cola, a 112-year-old brand, will still be relevant to the new consumers in this day and age.” And for an experiential event as big as Coke Studio, the essence and importance of innovation are only heightened.
Looking back at Coke Studio’s first season, Adrian shared that, initially, they were solely focused on sharing musical assets. “Every week, we would have episodes that we would share with consumers via music TV channels. But times have changed. We now live in a much more digital age, where many of the brand campaigns we have are two-way. We can send out our message, and consumers can engage and respond with it.”
Today, Coke Studio has grown into a bigger platform, releasing more musical content online than on traditional media, some of which are interactive. “Collaboration is the central message that we always communicate, but it has evolved through the platform in the past. I believe this has helped a lot in terms of brand-building. Not only are people able to listen, but they are also able to partake in the campaign,” Adrian shared.
Growing with the music community through generations
Alongside the improvements in the Coke Studio platform, Adrian noted that the communities participating each season have also drastically changed. He cited that aside from listening to their favorite artists, consumers these days yearn to hear them play live in a concert, and even be able to dance to the music and share the experience with other fans.
From this observation, the Coke Studio team came to a musing: allow fans of different genres to unite and collaborate in a single event, and learn to appreciate each other’s music tastes and artists. This realization was applied to the Ultimate Fandom Concert.
Artists collide, fandoms unite
In September 2024, Coke Studio Philippines put its eighth season on center stage with the Ultimate Fandom Concert—the biggest music local Coke Studio event to date. This edition’s musical theme revolved around the power of fandoms and creating connections between fandom-to-fandom and artist-to-fandom. The event was headlined by global K-pop sensation NewJeans, performing their chart-topping hits such as “ETA,” “How Sweet,” and “Zero.”
Season 8 artists ALAMAT, Nik Makino, Kyle Echarri, and Illest Morena also displayed local talent on the stage with their collab songs. Joining as well to serenade the crowd was first-ever Filipino Coke Studio global artist Zack Tabudlo.
By showcasing both established and emerging artists, the platform gave rise to unexpected and exciting musical fusions while providing a unique opportunity for fans of different fandoms to come together and celebrate their shared love for music.
“After the concert, people were telling us, ‘I never thought of certain artists like this before, so I have a newfound appreciation,’” Adrian said. “You’d never expect them to listen to that kind of music, but because of this live experience, they were able to discover new musical pieces. They were able to collide with different fandoms.”
And to end Season 8 with a bang, P-pop pride BINI released “Blooming”, which marked their third consecutive year of being part of Coke Studio.
Kyle Echarri and Illest Morena, “Believe”:
Alamat and Nik Makino, “Ngayong Gabi”:
BINI, “Blooming”:
Riding the wave of musical preferences
Adrian shared that the brand now understands that music can be inclusive too—melding artists from different genres and conjuring a rare synergy in a musical single, created especially for Coke Studio. “For example, this season, we collaborated with Nik Makino and Alamat: P-pop and rap. It hasn’t been done before, but through the help of Coke Studio, we fostered that collaboration. We make [Coke Studio] a stage for [artists] to collaborate on musical pieces, and make it big in the Filipino music industry.”
Staying true to the theme of “Ultimate Fandom,” he also emphasized that this latest season’s audience wasn’t just about the Gen Zs, but all of the other generations as well. “One song can be hip for one person. Another song can sound different to another person. But the common thread that puts them together is still music. That alone is the common thread for many generations on how we become inclusive in our choice of work.”
A new hope for music and Coke Studio
The eighth Coke Studio season was met with thunderous applause and finished with roaring acclamation from fandoms all over. And as we are rejuvenated with the new year, the team has a fresh chance of making it even bigger this 2025.
“We want to continue highlighting that only Coca-Cola can do experiences where we delight consumers with such an iconic cultural experience,” Adrian stated. “We’ll definitely continue listening to what our consumers want in terms of their music choices and what uplifts them — it has been our success pillar.”
See more performances on Coke Studio Philippines’ YouTube channel or check out Coca-Cola Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, and via coca-cola.com/ph
