'More fun' executive leaves top marketing job at Coca-Cola
One of Coca-Cola's top American marketers, whose aim was to inject more fun into the 127-year-old brand, is leaving the company.
Schunker leaves Coke: He wanted 'more fun'
Pio Schunker joined Coca-Cola in 2003 from Ogilvy , New York and was senior VP-integrated marketing communications for the Coca-Cola North America Group.
A Coca-Cola spokeswoman confirmed the move but gave no additional details.
It's expected Schunker won't land in a new post immediately, said AdAge, adding, " Given his background, he'd be an attractive hire for both big marketers and agencies."
With Schunker at the helm, Coca-Cola has become a more modern brand, including the brand's packaging overhaul five years ago, when the colour scheme went back to red and white.
Most recently, he's sought to inject a bit more fun into the brand.
"There's a lot more fun to the brand over the last two years. You're so used to seeing us do big spots like 'Videogame' or 'It's Mine,' which are absolutely things we will always continue to do," he told Ad Age in an interview earlier this year.
"But that's mostly what people think of us as -- we make these big epic spots. We really wanted to get back to talking about the product itself as the ultimate refreshment. We wanted to do it in a way was more fun, surprising, funny."
Schunker has been a champion of Wieden & Kennedy and appointed the agency in 2005.