ATLANTA – May 3, 2016– AMB Sports & Entertainment (AMBSE) and The Coca-Cola Company today announced that the leading beverage provider has been named a founding partner of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Through the partnership, Coca-Cola is the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage partner of the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the highly-anticipated new home of both professional sports franchises.
"We are proud to partner with Coca-Cola to deliver a superior match-day experience for soccer fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium," said Atlanta United president Darren Eales. "Coca-Cola has a tremendous heritage in the Atlanta market and has supported the game of soccer on a global scale for decades. We look forward to building on the strong partnership between Coca-Cola and Major League Soccer, and to working together to further elevate the world’s game."
The partnership expands on the long-standing relationship between the Atlanta Falcons and Coca-Cola, which has been serving its products at Falcons games since the team’s inception in 1966. Upon completion in June 2017, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will exclusively serve Coca-Cola products including Dasani bottled water and fresh brewed Gold Peak Tea, at its 673 food & beverage points of sale. To improve the concessions experience, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will utilize self-service kiosks serving Coca-Cola products as part of the stadium’s promise to deliver an exceptional fan experience.
"Coca-Cola is a one of the most recognized brands in the world, and we are thrilled to expand on our long-standing partnership," says Steve Cannon, chief executive officer of AMB Group, LLC. "As a global brand with deep-rooted ties to the Atlanta community, Coca-Cola’s activation at Mercedes-Benz Stadium solidifies our ties in the heart of Atlanta and demonstrates our aspiration to be benchmark in everything we do."
Coca-Cola joins the roster of other top brands as founding partner of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including Equifax, The Home Depot, NCR, Novelis, SunTrust, IBM and American Family Insurance.
"Atlanta is the birthplace and home of Coca-Cola, so we are always proud to support hometown partners," said Sandy Douglas, President, Coca-Cola North America. "The new Mercedes-Benz Stadium will provide numerous opportunities for refreshing experiences while cheering on our hometown teams – the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, as well as other thrilling events."
To launch the partnership in a unique way, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Coca-Cola created a campaign video released today that puts Coca-Cola on top of Atlanta. The video features Cannon; Rich McKay, president and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons; Ann Rodriguez, vice president, business operations Atlanta United; Carlos Bocanegra, technical director, Atlanta United; Mike Gomes, senior vice president, fan experience; and Alan Rabb, vice president, finance Coca-Cola USA operations along with more than 200 stadium workers, including Westside Works graduate Ian Miller.
Committed to supporting the revitalization of Atlanta’s Westside, Mercedes-Benz Stadium has employed Miller and more than 100 graduates of Westside Works, a long-term neighborhood program focused on creating employment opportunities and job training for residents of the Westside community.