Gallaudet University partners with Coca-Cola for groundbreaking campaign

Gallaudet is excited to announce the launch of a groundbreaking video campaign in collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company on their 139th birthday. In this campaign, they unveil a new corporate name sign for Coca-Cola, developed by four Gallaudet students after eight months of intensive research and community input.

The creation of Coca-Cola’s corporate name sign shows the power of Gallaudet’s academic model—drawing on student expertise in Communication Studies, Business Administration, and Linguistics.

This new name sign is featured in a reimagining of Coca-Cola’s iconic Hilltop commercial, with Gallaudet students, staff, and faculty signing in ASL. It’s more than a campaign. It’s a celebration of language, identity, and the leadership of Deaf experts in shaping the future of inclusive branding.

Read the full press release here

Working Together

Two years ago, Gallaudet began conversations with The Coca-Cola Company about the importance of establishing a corporate sign name. Drawing on her background in advertising, branding, and inclusive marketing, Storm Smith, ’10, Gallaudet University’s Director of Storytelling, led the development process and invited four Gallaudet students to collaborate over the course of a year.

Those students—ZaniBelle Hoglind, Natasha Richards-Hamilton, Misa Suzuki, and Alona Zfati conducted in-depth research, focus groups, and creative testing in collaboration with Coca-Cola executives, resulting in the creation of a new ASL brand sign for the company.

“It is more than fitting that The Coca-Cola Company is the first global corporation to receive a sign created by students at Gallaudet University,” said Smith. “We are deeply honored to have partnered with Coca-Cola on this. Our hope is that many other global brands will now follow in Coca-Cola’s footsteps, recognizing the extraordinary value a global sign name brings and the importance of creating a stronger connection with our global signing communities.”

The sign name project is one of many initiatives in a decades-long partnership enjoyed by Gallaudet University and The Coca-Cola Company dating back to the 1980s and including scholarships, career development programs and the original Deaf Way festival in 1989.

Email Public.Relations@gallaudet.edu with questions or media inquiries.