COKE PARTICIPANT GRATEFUL FOR EXPERIENCE

By, Nigel MADO, Port Moresby

After almost 3 months of competition, the winners of the Coke Epic Battle competition were announced and flown in to the capital to watch Marvel Cinematic Universe’s blockbuster film; “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which premiered in the capital on the 25th of July, 2024.

Three groups from Kokopo, Madang and Goroka were announced as the winners and flown down to the capital and were treated to the best seats in the house. Senior Brand Manager, Rachel Nainggolan said this was an opportunity for the winners to come, relax and catch a good movie.

Aside from this, the Coke Epic Battle Competition has left an indelible mark on a youngster who had the experience of a lifetime. Travelling for the first time to the Capital and witnessing first hand a different environment to that of his humble home in Western Highlands province.

Young Ken Jacob will tell his tale for the rest of his life. A second year Communication Arts [Journalism] major at the Divine Word University, this is what Ken had to tell of his experience;

In August, I came across a competition by Coca-Cola and Marvel on Facebook. The competition offered an exciting opportunity to make a video, and I was eager to put my skills into practice. As second year communication arts (journalism) students at Divine Word University, we had just started learning about TV news production.

I began by writing the script and creating a storyboard for our video. To bring the idea to life, I asked three of my friends to help me: Theresianthea Bengi, my beautiful and talented friend; my supportive sister; and my two strong and hardworking brothers, Auckley Roy Begani and Joe Iticne.

But we needed someone to handle the camera. Thankfully, my wonderful sister Kappa Gaoma and my brother Jonathan Keto offered to help as our camera operators. With their support, I directed the video, and we managed to film, edit, and submit it all within one day!

After what felt like a month of anticipation, we received the exciting news—we had won the competition, representing Madang for the Momase region! The prizes included a full VIP experience with flights to Port Moresby for a private screening, inclusive of accommodation, meals, and Coca-Cola merchandise.

As part of our prize, they sent us four tickets—one for Theresianthea, Auckley, Joe, and me. We all felt so happy, but I felt especially overjoyed.. I had never been to Port Moresby before, and the idea of flying for the first time felt like a dream. Just before we boarded the plane, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I thought about how I had spent most of my life in the remote village of Hagen Central in the Western Highlands, and I never expected anything like this to happen to me.

Seeing my emotions, Theresianthea, Auckley, and Joe comforted me, helping me feel calm. Together, we boarded the plane and headed to Port Moresby.

When we arrived at Jacksons International Airport, they greeted us like celebrities! Boaz Tane, the Operations Manager for Cre8ive Media, and his team, who worked closely with Coca-Cola,  were there to welcome us. They grabbed our bags, treated us like VIPs, and gave us special ID tags. They even assigned us chaperones to guide us throughout the trip. It felt surreal!

Our first stop was Nature Park, where we explored a world of beauty and wonder. The park was full of different species of plants and animals, showcasing some of Papua New Guinea’s rarest wildlife. Walking through the green trails and hearing the calls of exotic birds, we truly felt connected to the nature of our country.

After that, things got even more exciting—they took us to the Stanley Hotel. It felt almost like we were royalty. When we got there, the hotel staff checked us in, and to our surprise, each of us got our own room! We couldn’t believe it! The rooms had everything we could think of—huge beds, soft towels, a beautiful view—everything was perfect. We felt so special, like VIPs, because we had never experienced anything like this before.

They surprised us with allowances to spend at Vision City Mega Mall. And since we hadn’t anticipated receiving any money, you can imagine how thrilled we were! With our chaperones escorting us, we went to Vision City, one of the biggest malls in PNG. Now, I have to admit, I almost fell off the escalator three times! You see, we don’t have escalators in Hagen, so using one felt