How Ryan Tedder, Gwen Stefani and Anderson.Paak Came Together for Coca-Cola and the Olympics’ Song, ‘Hello World’: Exclusive

Coca-Cola has worked with the International Olympic Committee for nearly a century, but for the first time in their 96-year relationship, the brand and the producers of the Olympic games have collaborated on a song that both organizations will use beyond the Paris 2024 Olympics, which start tomorrow (July 26).

The upbeat, unifying “Hello World,” written by Ryan Tedder with additional lyrics by Anderson.Paak and performed by Gwen Stefani and .Paak, was released by digital service providers around the world on Thursday (July 25). The video, available on the International Olympic Committee’s YouTube channel, features the two artists dancing in front of the iconic five Olympic rings, interspersed with electrifying footage from past Summer Olympics. 

The song and video will be featured throughout the Games as the International Olympic Committee and the Coca-Cola Company will leverage the song across their marketing and communications programming during the two-week Paris competition, with the intention to use it in future Olympics Games as well.

Instead of picking a specific artist or licensing an existing song for the project, Josh Burke, global head of music and culture marketing at the Coca-Cola Company, and Brian Monaco, Sony Music Publishing’s president/global marketing officer, met over dinner to discuss broader concepts. 

“We were brainstorming ways to work more closely together,  and discussed Coke and IOC’s ambition to create an Olympic song,” Monaco says. “We chatted over the next few weeks and decided to test out some demos to share with the Coca-Cola team and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  I called Ryan Tedder because he is an amazing songwriter, and he and I have a solid track record working with some of the world’s top brands. We immediately started hashing out concepts for the song.”

The creative brief for Tedder was simple. “We wanted a song with broad appeal that would resonate worldwide, an uplifting and bright song that would inspire everyday greatness among athletes and music fans,” Burke says. “It was also important to us that we wouldn’t try to create a ‘brand’ song or ‘jingle’, and we’d have to give up some control, which is very difficult to do! We trusted Ryan and the process and that’s how “Hello World” was born.” Tedder has worked with Coca-Cola previously, including on Sprite’s Limelight 2023 program. 

“It’s not every day that you’re given the opportunity to write a song in celebration of the Olympic Games, and I am grateful to be part of such an incredible collaboration,” Tedder tells Billboard. “The Games are an important way for all of us to come together and celebrate each other globally, and we wrote this song with that in mind. I grew up watching every Olympics since childhood, so this is a lifelong dream. I hope this song inspires and uplifts.  I’m excited to share ‘Hello World’ with all of you, and I want to thank Brian Monaco, and the teams at Coca-Cola and IOC, for their partnership and support.”

Once Tedder finished the song, the search for the right artists began, landing on Stefani and .Paak, both of whom are repped by Full Stop Management. “Gwen & Anderson’s energy together is undeniable, and both have these incredibly unique and iconic voices that were a perfect blend this global track,” Burke says. “ We also loved that this was the first time Ryan, Gwen and Anderson have collaborated, and the story of two very different artists coming together is a nice nod to Coke’s legacy in music and the spirit of the Olympic Games.”

Coca-Cola and IOC worked hand in hand on the project. “The IOC were our partners every step of the way, from concept to execution, and they were incredible collaborators in this process,” Burke says. “Beyond the Olympic rings, the footage is from their archives and also features several athletes that Coca-Cola is collaborating with for our broader Olympic brand activity for Paris 2024.”

Coca-Cola has an existing partnership with Universal Music Group and worked with UMG’s Interscope Records, Stefani’s label home, to release the song. “It was crucial that we treated this release in the most authentic way possible,” Burke says. “And with the same care as any major single.”

Going forward, Sony Music Publishing will administer the majority of the song globally (.Paak’s portion is handled by Warner Chappell) and work with Coca-Cola and the IOC on future projects.

For .Paak, blending their different genres to create something “was the real magic of creating with Gwen and Ryan on our new song,” he said in a statement. “While we hope the song becomes an instant hit and gives listeners worldwide a new sound to groove to, we also hope to inspire fans and athletes to embrace the differences that make them unique as we celebrate the excitement of the Olympic Games.”