Coca-Cola’s ‘Sound of Home’ Radio Project Brings Filipino Families Closer Across Australia This Christmas
Coca-Cola has helped turn this Christmas into a little less lonely for many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Australia, launching a 24-hour “SoundOfHome.FM” radio broadcast filled with carols and heartfelt messages from families back in the Philippines. The initiative, created in partnership with SBS, Australia’s multicultural and multilingual public broadcaster, transformed the airwaves into an emotional bridge between Filipino communities across two countries.
Running from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 6pm on Christmas Day, SoundOfHome.FM carried recorded songs and dedications from parents, children, and spouses who are separated from their loved ones by thousands of kilometres. For many OFWs listening while on shift in service stations, kitchens, construction sites, and care facilities, the familiar voices and classic Filipino Christmas tunes offered a rare moment of comfort and connection.
The campaign was built over weeks through a nationwide Caroloke Caravan in the Philippines, where Coca-Cola teams visited key cities and major Pasko festivals to help families record personalised messages and carols. Others were able to participate online via a dedicated digital platform, uploading voice notes and songs that were then scheduled into the broadcast.
To make the experience even more intimate, families could register details so that OFWs in Australia received notifications when their message was about to air, allowing many to pause and listen in real time. Coca-Cola also released a short film, “Sound of Home”, capturing genuine reactions from Filipino workers as they heard their families’ voices mid-shift, from a mechanic wiping away tears to a shop clerk stunned into silence.
Francis Izon Reyes, Coca-Cola Marketing Director for ASEAN & South Pacific, said the project came from “a place of deep respect” for OFWs who quietly sacrifice time with family to support loved ones back home. “With Sound Of Home.FM, we wanted to bring a small piece of home to Filipinos overseas – a familiar voice, a favoritism carol – to remind them that their sacrifice, love and dedication are seen, valued and deeply appreciated,” Reyes said.
Creative partner Ogilvy @ WPP OpenX described the broadcast as a 24-hour “audio love letter” that may not shorten the distance, but helps close the silence. For multicultural Australia, the project stands as a timely reminder that even when oceans separate families, the feeling of home can still travel through sound.
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