The IPC and Coca-Cola Company announce Worldwide Paralympic Partnership

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) today welcomed the addition of The Coca-Cola Company to its roster of Worldwide Paralympic Partners.

Coca-Cola Japan was an existing Gold Partner of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the highest tier of the domestic sponsorship programme.

The agreement encompasses worldwide marketing rights to the IPC and Paralympic Games until 2032. This new partnership is a direct consequence of the IOC-IPC long-term collaboration agreement signed in 2018 and will help communicate the transformational impact of the Paralympic Movement to a whole new audience. As part of the agreement, the two organisations will look to explore purpose-driven marketing campaigns.

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: "We are very excited to welcome The Coca-Cola Company as a Worldwide Paralympic Partner. At the IPC, we believe that change starts with sport and that Para sport can foster a more inclusive world. We know The Coca-Cola Company shares our belief – they have been a supporter of the Paralympic Movement and our Games for decades, and their recent commitment to support the Japanese National Paralympic Committee during the COVID-19 pandemic shows how much they value Para sport. We look forward to working with Coca-Cola over the coming years on initiatives that can benefit our athletes around the world."

The IPC recently launched their One Year To Go campaign for Tokyo 2020 called #WaitForTheGreats, which included a powerful TV ad, an Instagram athlete virtual relay that stretched across the world from New Zealand to the west coast of the United States, as well as athlete TikTok challenges and Instagram stories from all 22 Paralympic sports that will feature in the Games next year. Additionally, the Paralympic Games are the subject of a new Netflix movie feature called Rising Phoenix, which tells the story of nine athletes across two Paralympic Games.

Ricardo Fort, vice president of global sports and entertainment partnerships for The Coca-Cola Company, applauded the announcement, stating, "The Paralympic Games are the third largest sporting event in the world and have set the standard for inclusivity in sport. Through our expanded relationship with the IPC, The Coca-Cola Company will continue supporting elite Para athletes who will make history at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 and beyond."

For Tokyo 2020, The Coca-Cola Company will execute its most significant portfolio play to-date, leveraging a team of elite Olympic, Special Olympic and Paralympic athletes from 25 countries around the world. The new platform will be the first global Olympic marketing campaign by the company to showcase a portfolio of beverages to consumers. In Japan, Georgia coffee, Ayataka green tea, Ilohas water and Aquarius sports drink will join Coca-Cola Original Taste. Each market will have its own team representing five local brands across multiple categories.

Additionally, as part of the company’s Olympic and Paralympic partnership, Coca-Cola Japan also launched its athlete donation programme in June to support the Japan National Team due to impacts caused by COVID-19.

Last year, The Coca-Cola Company extended its Olympic sponsorship to 2032 in partnership with Chinese dairy producer China Mengniu Dairy Company. The new agreement extended marketing rights for the IPC and the Paralympic Games, as well as the Youth Olympic Games.

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Notes to the Editor:

About the IPC Sponsorship Programme and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Sponsorship Programme

Sponsorship of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games is divided into two categories: the IPC's Sponsorship Programme and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Sponsorship Programme. Worldwide Paralympic Partners are granted the right to use the designation of the Paralympic Games and their emblem (but not including those of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games). The three remaining categories are designated for domestic sponsors. The highest domestic tier comprises Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Gold Partners, the second tier consists of Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Official Partners and the third tier is made up of Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Official Supporters.

Domestic sponsors will also be core components of Tokyo 2020's Marketing Programme, and until 2020 they will be indispensable partners both for the successful delivery of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and as partners of Japan's Paralympic teams. Accordingly, they will be accorded the rights to use Tokyo 2020's Paralympic designations and imagery, including emblems, mascots and slogans. In collaboration with all sponsors who take part in the Marketing Programme, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee will work to contribute to a brighter tomorrow for both Japan and the world.’

Please click the following link to learn more about the rights granted to the Tokyo 2020 Games' Sponsors: Sponsorship Programme (https://tokyo2020.org/en/organising-committee/marketing/sponsorship)

About the IPC

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It co-ordinates the organisation of the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. The IPC’s vision is to make for an inclusive world though Para sport. To learn more, visit www.paralympic.org.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries and territories. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brand, our portfolio includes AdeS, Ayataka, Costa, Dasani, Del Valle, Fanta, Georgia, Gold Peak, Honest, innocent, Minute Maid, Powerade, Simply, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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