Coke Studio links PH, Australia, and NZ artists for major cross-regional drop

Singapore — Coca-Cola has launched its largest cross-regional Coke Studio release to date, uniting artists from the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand for a collaborative single titled ‘Oxygen Around U’.

Executed by OpenX and the Universal Music Group for Brands’ BRING agency, the project brings together Filipino pop group BINI, Australian acts Peking Duk and Kita Alexander, New Zealand band Drax Project, and the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth. 

The track was officially released on November 12, following months of teasers, surprise appearances, and social-led fan engagement activities across the three markets, with Robot Fights Monster producing the animation, and Collider creating the original videos.

The release builds on earlier individual versions of the song shared by the participating artists. In August, BINI and the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth debuted ‘Oxygen’, which has since gained more than 16 million views on YouTube. Additional interpretations surfaced on TikTok from emerging performers in the region, generating speculation about a multi-market collaboration.

A second major drop, ‘Around U’ by Peking Duk, Kita Alexander, and Drax Project, was promoted through live pop-up performances in Australia and New Zealand, including appearances in a pizza shop in Newcastle, a surf shop in Sydney, and a McDonald’s in Christchurch. The track has since accumulated more than 3.6 million views and received radio play nationally.

Tin Le Trung, Coca-Cola trademark lead for ASEAN & South Pacific, said, “This year, we’ve turned up the volume on Coke Studio with a connected song spanning across the region. At Coca-Cola, we love how music brings people together and uplifts them, and this campaign truly underscored how we put our fans at the center of every moment. From hidden clues to unexpected performances, ‘Oyxgen Around U’ is a celebration of connection, collaboration, and the joy of discovery through the common language of music.”

Additionally, Nikhil Panjwani, executive creative director from OpenX, added: “The final cross-regional collaboration track is a punctuation to a carefully planned rollout for Coke Studio around the region. The music video has been designed from the ground up to celebrate the superfans who have uncovered the hidden clues and shows the artist worlds unexpectedly connected through portals. The space between these artist worlds, brought to life through magical animation is a celebration of online music fandom, and we’ve taken a visual-first approach to the final track to create impact, uplift, and of course stop the thumb.”

Moreover, Brooke Pilton, general manager partnerships at BRING – Universal Music For Brands, said, “Seeing fan reactions to this campaign has been truly mind-blowing. We’ve tried to keep them guessing at every touchpoint, from hidden messages and music videos that share connected worlds, to unexpected ways in which the song has been shared; both in real life and online. When you truly understand fan culture and tap into their behavioural needs, we truly believe brands can have a voice. We’re thrilled to be deepening our strategic collaboration with OpenX this year and further expand our role across the region.”

The initiative forms part of Coke Studio’s ongoing expansion, marking nearly a decade of the platform in the Philippines and its second year operating in Australia and New Zealand. This also marks the continued collaboration between OpenX and BRING: Universal Music For Brands, showcasing the newly formed strategic partnership between WPP and Universal Music Group as well.

In September, Coca-Cola also produced its reimagined season, this time, backed by science-based music and fan engagements.