Credits: Video Production – Infomedia

Birmingham’s 2018 Magic City Classic took place on October 27 this year, and just like always, it was a time of fun, family, and friends! This is such a special event for Birmingham Coca-Cola, a local bottler in the Coca-Cola UNITED family of bottlers, and just for a moment, we’d like to relive the memories.

A Strong Start

The fun kicked off with a press conference at Birmingham Coca-Cola (AL), which is also the corporate headquarters for Coca-Cola UNITED. The fabulous A.H. Parker High School marching band welcomed attendees, and Coca-Cola UNITED CEO John Sherman shared his perspective on the company’s history of supporting education in general and HBCUs specifically. Other notable attendees were Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin, Alabama State University president Dr. Quinton Ross, and Alabama A&M president Dr. Andrew Hugiene.

Director of Multicultural and Community Affairs for Coca-Coca UNITED’s Central Region, Walter Body, offered remarks at the Kickoff Luncheon and awarded the winner of an Magic City Classic Tailgate Package complete with: stadium chairs, a turkey fryer, and various Coca-Cola products. This prize was a part of a special in-store promotion provided by a partnership with Winn Dixie, a long-time customer and a sponsor of this year’s Magic City Classic.

That night brought the first Green Carpet Affairs event, which raises funds for scholarships to be dispersed to students within the Birmingham school system.

On Thursday, the out-of-town guests began to arrive. Jamael Hester (Director of Commercial Strategy and Segmentation) and Detrix Demps (Key Account Manager with Coca-Cola UNITED’s Suncoast Division) showed our guests how Birmingham does hospitality by treating them to a concert and a personal introduction to Birmingham’s Mayor Woodfin.

Coca-Cola’s Participation in The Magic City Classic

Friday morning began with other guests arriving from The Coca-Cola Company: Daneyni Sanguinetti (SR Marketing Manager, Multicultural TCCC), Felicia Wasson (Director of Community and Stakeholders Relations), and Scott Thomas (Director of Pillar Platform). These honored guests went for a market tour to see the creative activation of Magic City in the marketplace for customer and consumer engagement.

More than 500 people attended the team luncheon, during which Pam Cook (Central Region Media and Promotion Manager) presented a check to Ezra Gray from ASU and Vernon Moland from A&MU for $1,000 each.

Coca-Cola also facilitated the opportunity for each team (all 125 players, coaches, and athletic directors) to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and experience the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

Friday night offered a club event, “IGNITE,” promoted by Birmingham’s tech community and sponsored by Coca-Cola UNITED.

The Big Event

Saturday finally arrived, and everyone was ready for some fun! The morning kicked off with the Magic City Classic parade televised on WBRC 6.

After the parade, it was time for the game! Everyone enjoyed the excitement of tailgating. Jamael Hester had the honor of doing the coin toss, Alan Lincoln and Walter Body presented a check in the amount of $92,000 for sponsorship, and Trey Edwards (Winn Dixie) and Amar Wagner presented the Most Valuable Players Trophies.

Coca-Cola UNITED has a special place in our hearts for the Classic, and we know you do, too. 2018 was an event to remember – and we can’t wait for 2019!