Coca-Cola is switching lanes and hitting the studio. The iconic beverage brand just launched Real Thing Records. in collaboration with Universal Music Group, spotlighting global artists across genres, hip-hop included.
With over $45 billion in revenue last year and more than a century of branding power, Coca-Cola is now betting big on music to keep its cultural relevance flowing.
“Real Thing Records. is designed to unlock greater potential for artists, fans, and our brands—where creativity fuels growth, and the combined power of our network and key global music partners create value greater than the sum of its parts,” said Joshua Burke, Coca-Cola’s Global Head of Music & Culture.
First up on the artist roster is French-New Zealand singer Max Allais under Better Now Records and Indian genre-bender Aksomaniac, signed to Def Jam Recordings India. “I make music to name things I never had words for… real thing records. isn’t asking me to translate or simplify. They’re helping me echo it louder,” Aksomaniac said.
UMG’s Adam Granite called the move “a new platform for developing and marketing emerging talent.”
Coca-Cola has always sold more than just soda—it sells a feeling. Now, with real thing records., it’s trying to soundtrack the future of that feeling, with hip-hop riding shotgun.
