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 , 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.

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, ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú’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 ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú,” 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 ºÚÁÏÀÏ˾»ú 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.