Like many people I want to learn more about artificial intelligence (AI). This post is part of a series where I experiment with AI tools, share what I build and learn. My hope is that these posts will create discussion around this transformational technology, its use cases and maybe even help others on their journey of AI discovery.
The focus of this experiment is to use AI tools to create a summer marketing campaign brief for Coca-Cola, and then respond to the brief with three creative ideas - a hero, a mass appeal and a wildcard idea. From my experience most client briefs are bad (at best), so I used Paul Dervan’s AI Assistant to refine the brief that ChatGPT created. The tool is highly recommended and forces the clarity most briefs avoid by diagnosing the implied model of influence and asks the question “How is this communication actually meant to work?”
I’ve used several tools including ChatGPT, Midjourney and HeyGen to create the following:
In just a couple of hours I managed to respond to the brief with three creative ideas, complete with images, a deck and short explainer video. The AI tools have reduced what would typically take weeks into a matter of hours. And while the ideas likely need some refinement, the speed and quality of the content is truly remarkable.
The Brief: Coca-Cola Summer 2025 Campaign
1. Campaign Overview
Campaign Title: Coke Feels Like Summer
Rallying Idea: If it’s not being talked about, it’s not summer.
Dates: June 1 – August 31, 2025
Channels:
Social-first (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts)
PR stunts and earned media
Experiential disruptions
Influencer provocateurs & culture-makers
Guerrilla OOH and bold brand interventions
This isn’t a campaign—it’s a conversation starter. Coca-Cola won’t just appear in summer moments, it will create them—loudly, unexpectedly, and unapologetically New York.
2. Strategic Objective
Re-establish Coca-Cola’s cultural fame in NYC by launching buzz-generating, share-triggering experiences that become the city’s summer story.
This is not about being present in culture—it’s about being the thing people talk about. We will build fame through bold creativity, contagious activation, and amplification through PR, creators, and the crowd.
3. Target Audience
Primary:
Gen Z and Millennials (18–35)
Culture-driven NYC locals and visitors
Creative, expressive, hyper-social—status and share define experience value
Insight:
They chase the unexpected, the brag-worthy, the thing their feed hasn’t seen yet. In a city that moves fast, only what breaks the rhythm gets remembered. Coke must interrupt the scroll, hijack the moment, and reward early adopters with social status.
4. Key Challenge
Coca-Cola is known—but it’s not being talked about. In NYC’s saturated summer, being visible isn’t enough. The challenge is to become culturally inevitable again.
To do that, we’ll stop doing what’s safe, and start doing what spreads.
5. Behavioral Goal
Spark talk, shares, remixes, and cultural pickup.
Make Coke the trigger of summer buzz—a meme, a movement, a citywide mood.
If people aren’t filming it, sharing it, remixing it—or talking about how wild it was—we’ve failed.
6. KPIs
+30% increase in SOV (NYC beverage category)
1.5M+ UGC posts using #CokeFeelsLikeSummer
Earned media reach > 250M impressions via PR and creator content
Number of organic remixes, memes, TikTok stitches/duets
Qualitative lift in “Coke is part of the summer buzz” (brand fame metric)
Event-specific buzz lift tracked via social sentiment spikes within 24h of activations
7. Creative Mandate: Spark Contagion
Hero Idea — Coke Drops
Concept Title: Coke Drops: The Coldest Launches of the Summer
Description:
Every week, Coke drops something NYC can’t ignore—music collabs, artist-designed bottles, bodega pop singles, flash streetwear, or surprise street stunts. It’s part street culture drop, part media trap, part social game. Think Supreme x Banksy x Red Hook Fire Hydrant Party.
Executional Elements:
Timed weekly “Coke Drop” alerts via TikTok and local creator channels
Surprise drops include limited-edition Coke cans designed by NYC artists, rooftop DJ battles, floating Coke vending machines on the East River, etc.
Creator partnerships for stunt amplification
Hidden Coke Drop vending machines only accessible via clues and shareable social quests
Emotional Payoff & Share Triggers:
Status. Hype. Discovery. The thrill of being first. You don’t see a Coke Drop—you chase it, film it, and make it yours.
Mass Appeal Idea — The Coke Signal
Concept Title: The Coke Signal
Description:
Every time the temperature in NYC hits 85°F or higher, a giant Coca-Cola red “signal” lights up on city landmarks—water towers, Times Square LEDs, subway tunnels—telling New Yorkers it’s time to cool off, party up, and grab a Coke.
Executional Elements:
Branded red light projections on buildings (e.g., the Williamsburg Bridge, the Vessel, water towers in Bushwick)
Activation-linked Coke giveaways at nearby bodegas
Instagrammable heat-sensor installations where touching a red Coke signal dispenses cold bottles
“Coke Signal” filters on TikTok and Snap with geolocated AR prompts
Emotional Payoff & Share Triggers:
Unexpected spectacle meets citywide ritual. When the Coke Signal hits, summer hits different. It’s Gotham meets Coca-Cola meets global stage.
Wildcard Idea — Subway Sets
Concept Title: Coca-Cola Subway Sets
Description:
Underground fame goes overground. For 10 surprise days, NYC’s subway musicians are paired with rising local TikTok musicians and DJs to transform key stations into Coke-powered microconcerts.
Executional Elements:
Red neon Coke arches at platform stages in Union Square, Bedford Ave, 125th Street
Custom Coke cans printed with QR codes linking to performer playlists and merch
Collaborations with local NYC music influencers and dance crews
Creator-led “Which Subway Station Are You Performing At?” trend launch
Emotional Payoff & Share Triggers:
NYC talent meets viral exposure. Surprise and celebration collide in real-time. This is Coke making the music of the city—not just sponsoring it.
8. Tone & Style
Loud. Lush. Legendary.
This isn’t a clean corporate brand—this is Coca-Cola unbottled. Bold typography, gritty street textures, supercut videos, and NYC’s raw energy.
Red that glows, not sits.
Music-first, meme-ready, culture-literate content.
Every asset should look like it was made to be remixed.
This campaign doesn’t blend in. It starts things.
9. Mandatories
Use Coca-Cola’s iconic brand assets in reinterpreted, remixable ways
Must include #CokeFeelsLikeSummer in all activations
Designed for mobile-first, creator-first sharing
Reflect borough diversity—not just geography, but local style and voice
Media plan must skew earned and social; paid supports virality, not leads it
10. Deliverables
This full revised brief
Three creative campaign concepts:
Coke Drops (fame engine)
The Coke Signal (spectacle-driven mass ritual)
Subway Sets (hyperlocal musical fame creation)
Strategic logic for why this generates social contagion and cultural penetration
Buzz-building plan with triggers, collaborators, and amplification tactics
Closing Rally
This summer, Coca-Cola becomes more than a beverage—it becomes a citywide behavior.
If New York is the main stage, Coca-Cola is the headline act.
Let’s make Coke feel not just like summer—but like the summer everyone will talk about for years to come.
Creative Response 1
Hero Idea
Coke Drops: Turning Summer into a Chase
1. Idea Summary
Coke Drops is Coca-Cola’s Summer 2025 NYC centerpiece: a bold, buzz-engineered campaign that leverages drop culture to make Coca-Cola unmissable. Across 10 weeks, surprise Coke Drops will hit the streets—limited-edition artist cans, pop-up rooftop DJ sets, wearable coolers, and floating vending machines. Each is designed for instant sharing, real-world hype, and viral remixing.
Why does this matter? Because Gen Z and Millennials don’t want ads—they want events. Moments that feel rare, earned, and worth the post. Coke Drops transforms Coca-Cola from a product into a summer status symbol.
2. Cultural Relevance
NYC’s youth culture is driven by scarcity, access, and discovery. Streetwear drops (e.g., Supreme), pop-up speakeasies, and secret playlists create a currency of “I got there first.” Coke Drops taps into this desire by giving the brand social capital, not just screen time.
70% of Gen Z say they’re more likely to trust brands that offer unique experiences (Qualtrics, 2023). And over 82% of Gen Z consumers prefer participating in brand moments that feel exclusive and time-limited (YPulse, 2024). This campaign turns Coca-Cola into a brand that earns clout, not just attention.
3. Execution Plan
Campaign Timeline:
10 Drops across 10 weeks (June–August 2025), each with a unique theme and activation style.
Drop Examples:
Art Drop: Graffiti-style Coke cans by NYC artists, distributed via vending walls that appear in Dumbo or Bushwick and vanish within 12 hours.
Music Drop: Rooftop parties in Brooklyn with secret lineups, RSVP unlocks through creator collaborations.
Style Drop: Branded Coca-Cola wearables distributed at hidden bodegas, revealed only through TikTok scavenger hunts.
Temperature Drop: Ice-cold Coke bath parties when NYC hits 90°F, teased via a live heat map countdown.
Channel Mix:
Creator seeding to NYC TikTokers and fashion/music micro-influencers
Social scavenger hunts and live countdowns on Instagram Stories
PR outreach to Time Out, Hypebeast, Complex, and The Cut
Spotify tie-ins for Coke Drop Soundtracks with participating DJs
Media Budget Allocation:
60% toward experiential and earned media amplification
30% toward paid creator activations and TikTok-first storytelling
10% toward targeted OOH drop teases in high-footfall areas (e.g., Williamsburg, LES)
4. Visual & Sensory World
Visual Language:
Coke red dominates—refreshed as a glowing, street-level signal. Neon lightboxes, projection-mapped rooftops, and minimalist red vending cubes that demand to be photographed.
Soundtrack:
Lo-fi chill + house beat mixes, curated by NYC DJs with cult Gen Z followings. Each Drop has a custom track released via Spotify.
Capture Triggers:
Freeze-frame Coke vending machine “disappearances”
Creator “Drop fit checks” showcasing exclusive red wearables
Drone shots of rooftop crowds, all holding glowing Coke bottles
The sensory experience must scream: you had to be there.
5. Fame Triggers
UGC Surge: Goal of 1.5M+ posts using #CokeFeelsLikeSummer across TikTok and Instagram
Share Triggers: Visual drama, exclusivity, and countdown anticipation create a constant loop of FOMO
Creator Remixing: Each drop includes creative prompts for duets, reactions, and trend remixes
PR Hooks: From “Coke drops ice bath party in Queens” to “Mysterious red wall gives out artist-designed cans,” each moment is built for headlines
This isn’t about impressions—it’s about conversations. We’re aiming for at least 250 earned media pickups and a +30% increase in share of voice within NYC’s beverage category by end of campaign.
6. Risk & Reward
Yes, the campaign is unpredictable. That’s the point.
Coca-Cola will embrace spontaneity, creator control, and fast-twitch content cycles. The risk is letting go. But the reward? Cultural dominance. Drops bring back urgency and joy into brand engagement.
If 80% of Gen Z say they trust influencers more than traditional ads (Morning Consult, 2023), then Coke must become the content, not the sponsor. This campaign is the hype machine.
7. Role of the Brand
Coca-Cola isn’t tagging along. It’s setting the rules.
The red glow is the alert that something’s about to happen.
The script logo becomes a stamp of legitimacy, like a streetwear signature.
The bottle silhouette re-emerges as a collectible icon—made cool again through scarcity, street art, and remix culture.
Most importantly, Coke becomes the enabler of unforgettable summer moments. Not just seen, but chased. Not just drunk, but documented.
Strategic Impact
Coke Drops directly supports Coca-Cola’s global goals to:
Increase Gen Z brand love and relevance
Drive earned media and reduce reliance on paid awareness
Reinforce Coca-Cola’s role as a cultural tastemaker, not just a legacy brand
This campaign transforms Coca-Cola into a symbol of access, experience, and status—all at the speed of social.
Creative Response 2
Mass Appeal Idea
The Coke Signal: Turning Heat into Hype
1. Idea Summary
The Coke Signal is Coca-Cola’s real-time response to New York City heatwaves—a citywide spectacle that flips rising temperatures into viral brand moments. When the temperature hits 85°F or higher, Coca-Cola activates bold red light projections on iconic buildings, water towers, bridges, and rooftops. These glowing red “signals” alert New Yorkers it’s officially “Coke Time.”
From curated bodega drops to misting stations and AR overlays, each activation is designed to be seen, captured, and shared. More than just a visual metaphor, The Coke Signal gives Coca-Cola control over the cultural weather forecast—sparking instant buzz and social contagion right when people are most craving refreshment.
2. Cultural Relevance
Heatwaves define New York summers. They change behaviors: clothing comes off, hydrants are cracked open, and rooftops fill by 5 PM. Gen Z and Millennials don’t just feel heat—they respond to it with action, mood shifts, and content creation.
92% of Gen Z say they’re more likely to engage with a brand that’s “in tune with their environment” (Wunderman Thompson, 2023). The Coke Signal taps into the city’s most physical trigger—weather—and turns it into a brand-owned ritual. When Coke turns on the lights, summer starts.
It’s not just culturally relevant. It’s culturally inevitable.
3. Execution Plan
Trigger Mechanism:
Activates automatically on any day NYC hits 85°F+, based on verified weather APIs
“Signal events” can occur up to 12 times throughout the summer campaign window
Core Elements:
Red Light Projections on buildings across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens (e.g., Williamsburg Bridge, The Vessel, LES murals)
Geo-triggered activations via push alerts, Snap Maps, and TikTok filters
Bodega Surprises: When the signal is active, nearby participating bodegas offer free Cokes with purchases
Public Mist Zones: Coke-branded misting canopies with music and cold cans pop up at parks and city events
Digital Coca-Cola Heat Map: Real-time interactive microsite tracks temperature and where the signal is live
Media/Content Strategy:
Amplified through TikTok weather influencers and NYC meme pages
Branded weather countdowns on Instagram Stories
Snapchat lens that lets users “drop the Coke Signal” anywhere
Real-time creator reactions across boroughs during live activations
Projected Reach:
10M+ geolocated impressions via creator networks and AR tools
1.2M+ engagements with digital “signal alerts”
Target: 300K+ real-world Signal Interactions (in bodegas, pop-ups, and mist zones)
4. Visual & Sensory World
Visuals:
Bold Coca-Cola red light washes fill cityscapes at dusk
Projection of Coke bottle silhouettes pulsing on facades
Subway tunnels glow red as trains roll in
Sound:
Low rumbling bass builds in parks and bodegas before the lights turn on
Curated “Coke Heat” playlists on Spotify signal that a drop is happening
Capture Moments:
TikTokers under the red glow of the Williamsburg Bridge
Reaction videos to bodega surprise giveaways
POV content of walking through misting Coke archways in Central Park
This is sensory branding designed to signal emotion. It looks like a movement. It sounds like a drop. It feels like refreshment.
5. Fame Triggers
Surprise and Scarcity: No two activations are alike, and each is weather-dependent. That unpredictability fuels FOMO and sharing.
UGC Generators: The red signal creates the perfect “Where were you?” post. It’s visual shorthand for heat and hype.
Earned Media Hooks: Local news and culture outlets will cover Coke taking over the skyline. “The Bat-Signal, but fizzy.”
Memetic Behavior: Expect “Coke Forecast” memes, “Signal’s on, let’s move” trend videos, and heat-reactive dance challenges.
Target outcomes include:
+35% increase in social buzz during activation windows
200+ earned media pickups across NYC-focused publications
+8–10 point lift in emotional brand connection with 18–35 audience in post-campaign tracking
6. Risk & Reward
Yes, this campaign relies on factors we can’t control (weather), which means activations may be fast and fluid. But that’s exactly what makes it newsworthy. It’s reactive. It’s real. It feels alive—like the city itself.
The reward? Coca-Cola doesn’t just respond to summer—it becomes the voice of summer. No other brand owns climate in the way this campaign will. It’s the kind of idea that earns press without buying it, and wins hearts without shouting.
7. Role of the Brand
Coca-Cola is the signal.
The red hue is the trigger
The bottle silhouette is the icon that cues celebration
The script logo is the stamp of emotional legitimacy
The brand doesn’t appear in the moment—it causes the moment. And that’s the difference between advertising and influence.
Strategic Impact
The Coke Signal accelerates Coca-Cola’s strategic goals in three key ways:
Drives brand fame through earned media and spectacle, reducing reliance on paid reach
Deepens emotional resonance by connecting Coca-Cola with real-world sensory experiences tied to NYC life
Captures youth attention through cultural responsiveness and social-first storytelling
We expect this campaign to contribute to a 10% YoY lift in Gen Z brand favorability in NYC, supporting the broader global objective of reclaiming cultural leadership among young urban consumers.
Creative Response 3
Wildcard Idea
Subway Sets: Underground Fame, Brought to You by Coca-Cola
1. Idea Summary
Subway Sets transforms NYC’s iconic subway system into a Coca-Cola-branded cultural engine—where music, community, and viral content collide underground. Over 10 surprise activations across key stations, Coca-Cola will pair NYC’s best street musicians with rising TikTok creators, turning daily commutes into spontaneous, share-worthy concerts.
Each “set” is an unannounced takeover featuring music, movement, and unmistakable Coke iconography. The platform becomes the stage. The commuters become the crowd. The footage becomes the content. It’s not an ad—it’s a movement. One where Coca-Cola doesn’t just show up in youth culture. It orchestrates it.
2. Cultural Relevance
More than 5.5 million people ride the subway daily, and for Gen Z and Millennials, subway platforms double as cultural touchpoints: a space where they encounter new music, creators, and inspiration on their commute. TikTok has elevated subway performers to viral stardom—@thatviolinchick, @saxonsubway, and others rack up millions of views.
72% of Gen Z says they prefer brands that support local creators (Adobe Future of Creativity Report, 2024), and 88% value brands that “discover cool before it’s mainstream” (Ypulse, 2023). Subway Sets makes Coca-Cola the bridge between underground talent and mainstream buzz—embedding the brand where culture is born, not bought.
3. Execution Plan
Activation Plan:
10 Takeovers: One per week at key high-traffic subway stations: Union Square, Bedford Ave, 125th Street, Fulton Street, and more.
Talent Pairings: Subway legends meet TikTok music influencers in Coke-curated duos: jazz drummers + rappers, violinists + DJs, beatboxers + vocalists.
Branded Environment:
Neon red Coke arches line the platform
Glowing floor panels sync to music
Misting Coke coolers handed out during high-heat performances
Exclusive artist-designed Coke bottles distributed with QR codes linking to Spotify playlists
Amplification Strategy:
Creator-led promotion with NYC-based TikTok stars
Livestreamed sets on Instagram Reels and TikTok Live
Spotify integration: Coke Subway Sets Playlist updates weekly
“Which station are you today?” TikTok trend drives user remixes of sets and outfits
Projected Performance:
50K+ live attendees across all activations
1.8M social engagements, driven by surprise, performance, and remixable content
300M+ total impressions through earned media and creator amplification
4. Visual & Sensory World
Look & Feel:
A gritty-meets-glam aesthetic: red glow halos, steam, metallic reflections off subway cars
Subway posters become hand-drawn murals of featured performers, branded with Coke’s script logo
Coke’s red arches frame the performers, making the space instantly identifiable
Soundscape:
Beat drops echoing off tile walls
Real-time audio loops from bucket drummers, saxophonists, freestyle rappers
Sonic branding cues when Coke bottles are popped open—audible in set transitions
Photo/Video Moments:
POV TikToks: “You won’t believe what happened at 125th today”
Drone-style transitions between street level and performance
Branded “Subway Setlist” overlays for creators stitching their own reactions
Designed for virality. Filmed for authenticity. Shared because it’s unforgettable.
5. Fame Triggers
UGC Engine:
Gen Z thrives on authenticity + spectacle = real-time concert reactions, POV storytelling, and dance challenges
TikTok “duet this Subway Set” trend encourages audience to remix vocals and dance
Earned Media Leverage:
Local media headlines: “Coca-Cola Brings Surprise Concerts to NYC Subway”
Culture blogs + music press cover rising artists featured by Coke
Spotify editorial teams feature Coke-curated summer mixes
Social Amplification:
Goal: 2M+ UGC posts and shares using #CokeFeelsLikeSummer and #SubwaySets
Target: +40% spike in NYC social buzz volume during activation weeks
Deliver: 200+ press mentions, including Time Out, The Fader, The Cut, and TikTok Discover page
This is how Coca-Cola becomes the beat of the city.
6. Risk & Reward
Yes, the subway is unpredictable. But that’s why it works. It’s where culture is raw, unfiltered, and magnetic. Most brands avoid it—Coca-Cola owns it.
This campaign dares to trust creators and the crowd. It trades control for cultural currency. And in return, it earns fame that no media buy can replicate.
We expect +12-point brand favorability lift among Gen Z audiences in post-campaign studies—matching our global priority to strengthen brand love with the next generation.
7. Role of the Brand
Coca-Cola isn’t just a sponsor. It’s the reason the moment exists.
Red glow = anticipation.
Script logo = co-sign of credibility.
Bottle silhouette = currency of the scene.
From setlists to set design, Coca-Cola orchestrates the experience while letting the talent take the spotlight. That’s how a brand earns cultural permission—not by shouting, but by elevating the vibe.
Strategic Impact
Subway Sets delivers on Coca-Cola’s core strategic objectives:
Reclaim youth cultural relevance in a hyperlocal, non-commercial setting
Drive talkability and earned media without over-reliance on traditional channels
Enhance emotional brand connection by embedding Coca-Cola in real NYC rituals
The campaign is projected to increase NYC-based Gen Z aided brand recall by 15%, drive 300M+ impressions, and deliver 50,000+ real-world interactions—turning every subway ride into a cultural moment with Coca-Cola at the center.