In the constantly changing marketing landscape, innovative strategies are crucial to capturing consumer attention.
From the creative “Share a Coke” campaign to the computer-animated “Always Coca-Cola” campaign, Coca-Cola is a brand that nails its marketing campaigns nearly every time.
Now, with the increasing popularity of AI, Coca-Cola has decided to use it to create an interactive marketing campaign: Create Real Magic.
What is AI?
When you hear the term artificial intelligence (AI), the first things you think of could be robots, ChatGPT or self-driving cars. However, artificial intelligence is much more than that.
You might find it crazy to believe that artificial intelligence is a concept that has been around since the 1950s. Artificial intelligence is the theory and development of computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence.
Fast forward 70 years, and AI now does much more than it was initially created for. Do you want AI to write an essay, create a picture, or drive a car for you? It can do all of those things and more.
Most recently, Coca-Cola has used AI to create a platform where people can design Coca-Cola advertisements solely using AI, called Create Real Magic.
What is Create Real Magic?
As they always do, Coca-Cola has used the latest technology, generative AI, in their marketing efforts.
Create Real Magic is an AI platform that allows artists to create unique works of art using recognisable elements from Coca-Cola’s archives. The platform was developed by Coca-Cola, OpenAI, and Bain & Company. The company released a video explaining how to use the innovative tool.
“Our company is embracing the power of digital in every aspect of our business, and ‘Create Real Magic’ is a way to invite even more people to join us,” said Manolo Arroyo, global chief marketing officer at The Coca-Cola Company.
Utilising OpenAI’s GPT-4 and DALL-E tools, Coca-Cola’s latest campaign, which took place at the end of March, invited artists and consumers to participate in the content of creating original ads.
Once artists created unique and original ads through the AI platform, they could download and submit their work for the opportunity to be featured on Coca-Cola’s digital billboards in New York’s Times Square and London’s Piccadilly Circus.
By tapping into and utilising generative AI in a unique and never-before-seen way, Coca-Cola positioned itself as a pioneer in the marketing landscape. The campaign resonated particularly well with the Gen Z audience.
Not only did the campaign introduce a new generation of consumers, but it also increased sales and enhanced brand favourability. Create Real Magic was released at the end of the first quarter, with the company reporting a 5% increase in net revenue. Additionally, in the second quarter of 2023, The Coca-Cola Company reported a 6% increase in net revenue, which could have resulted from the Create Real Magic campaign.
How Does Create Real Magic Work?
Create Real Magic uses AI to combine two different technologies to create images. ChatGPT-4 is a large language model that can generate text that resembles human speech. DALL-E is an image generator that can create images based on text prompts.
During the Create Real Magic competition, users were asked to enter a text description of the artwork they had in mind. ChatGPT-4 was then used to generate a creative text prompt, and DALL-E used the prompt to create an image based on the description.
Create Real Magic isn’t only used for the Coca-Cola competition; it can also be used to create:
- Social media posts
- Product packaging
- Website designs
And more!
Create Real Magic Academy
After the success of the Create Real Magic campaign in March, The Coca-Cola Company held a Real Magic Academy in Atlanta during the 2023 northern hemisphere summer.
The academy took place over three days and included over 30 digital artists, creative technologists and entrepreneurs. Some of the guests were winners of the Create Real Magic campaign.
Attendees of the academy in Atlanta, Georgia, were provided with access to Coca-Cola brand assets and AI tools, as well as a preview of AI-powered Coca-Cola campaigns.
“By opening our doors and providing access to tools, assets, mentorship opportunities and insights from cultural storytelling, product development and AI experts, we created a space where participants could deliver some truly powerful outputs and create a benchmark for future generations of AI creators… We intentionally created a community of like-minded artists who we hope will stay connected and collaborate in the near future,” said Pratik Thakar, senior director of generative AI at The Coca-Cola Company.
It has also been reported that Coca-Cola will launch another Create Real Magic campaign, focusing on Christmas this holiday season.
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