Andra Day to appear on 40 million Coke cups at McDonald's
ATLANTA (AP) - Andra Day wants to inspire people to rise up while drinking a Coke.
The Grammy-nominated singer's image and lyrics from her standout single "Rise Up" will appear exclusively on more than 40 million Coca-Cola cups at select McDonald's throughout the country, Coke officials told The Associated Press on Monday. Day's appearance on the red-and-white cups is an extension of the recently launched "Share a Cup and a Song" lyrics program.
The cups will be available May 2.
"I really hope this gives people a simple reminder to persevere," Day said. "That's what the song is all about. That's why I like this Coke campaign, because it makes you inspire community. I hope people are able to see the encouraging stories through this."
Purchasers of the cups can also view the short film documentary "I Rise," inspired by Day's single "Rise Up." The film can be watched on a cellular device after scanning a cup using Shazam's new image recognition technology.
The film features four African-American women, showcasing the impact they're making in their communities.
Customers who purchase the Coca-Cola products at McDonald's will also qualify through the "I'll Rise 365 Sweepstakes with Coca-Cola Rise Up Essence Fest Program" for a chance to see Day perform at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans in June.
"We believe Andra has a very special, timeless voice that needs to be heard," said Umut Ozaydinli of Deviant Ventures, a marketing agency for Coca-Cola. "We are very happy we are able to use this great platform provided by Coke and McDonald's to introduce her to new audiences. Her song 'Rise Up' has all the elements of an anthem. She's going to be an artist to remember for years to come."
Ozaydinli said Day will be the first music artist to appear on a Coca-Cola cup during the company's partnership with McDonald's.
Day was paired with Serena Williams in a Beats by Dr. Dre commercial, has appeared in an Apple commercial with Stevie Wonder, performed at the White House and was featured in ESPN's recent Black History Month special. She received several Grammy nominations and performed at the awards show earlier this year.
Day will appear on the cover of Essence magazine's May 13 issue.
"I think gratitude is a big thing," she said. "It puts you in a place where you're humble. It's not just you putting all this together. I give credit to my team. I have dedicated people from my label, my fans and people at these companies that believe in me."
Warner Bros. Records executive Lori Feldman said more brands are gravitating toward Day because of the singer's talented voice, humble character and positively strong messages in her songs. Feldman and Ozaydinli played instrumental roles in creating the partnership between Day, Coca-Cola and McDonald's.
"She puts greatness out there and receives it back from people," said Feldman, the executive VP of brand partnerships and creative synch licensing at the label. "When people go to her shows or see her on television, it's an empowering moment."
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This story corrects the number of cups Andra Day's image will appear on to 40 million from 50 million.
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Online:
http://www.essence.com/2016/04/25/andra-day-gives-us-all-life-her-first-essence-june-cover
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Follow Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MrLandrum31. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/jonathan-landrum-jr