Coke Studio Pakistan
Coca-Cola2008
Coke Studio Pakistan is a 2008 branded music series (brand-built institution) for Coca-Cola.
The line
Sound of the Nation
Why it works
In 2008 Coca-Cola in Pakistan funded a studio music show, adapted from a promotional project the company had run in Brazil, and gave it to the pop veteran Rohail Hyatt. He paired pop and rock acts with qawwali, folk and classical singers and recorded them live. Hyatt was allowed only a few songs as an experiment in the first season, but their success won a deal to air the show at once on every major Pakistani TV and radio network, with the tracks free to download. The brand stopped being a sponsor of the country's music and became its host. That is why it is studied: a soft-drink company built a cultural institution that outlived its founding producer, crossed the hostile India-Pakistan border and now has Indian and Bangladeshi editions. The BBC calls it Pakistan's longest-running music show. Its 2022 song “Pasoori” became the first Pakistani track to top Spotify's global viral chart and, in September 2026, the first Pakistani-made music video to pass a billion YouTube views.
Techniques
- Jingles and music Lets music do the selling, recording pop and rock acts live with qawwali, folk and classical singers on a show the brand hosts.
- Transfer Attaches the brand to the nation's music, presenting the show as the sound of the nation and becoming its host rather than a sponsor.
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