Who would willingly create ads for a brand and share them with friends and family? Coca-Cola recently achieved this with their unique marketing campaign, ‘Create Real Magic,’ which allowed users to create their own festive DIY Christmas cards using generative AI.
Making a festive card campaign for the holidays may seem somewhat cliché (like the popular ‘Elf Yourself’ campaign). However, the use of generative AI, such as DALL-E 3, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion, brings a fresh twist.
The generative machine, built on OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 API, impressively integrates Coca-Cola’s logo and branding into various themes. These themes include a ballet-dancing Asian girl on a cake, runners reaching a finish line, and even a Santa Claus figure mimicking Steve Jobs while holding a Coca-Cola bottle, as depicted in the image.
Coca-Cola’s iconic red color blends well with the Christmas theme, and the AI’s ability to beautifully modify images has likely resulted in the creation and sharing of many new Coca-Cola-themed images. This close association with Christmas strengthens the brand’s connection with the holiday season.
The campaign feels more like a permanent site than a temporary event. It demonstrates how ‘Self-Generative Ads’ powered by Generative AI can closely align a brand with the personal interests of users.
What is a Self-Generative Ad?
A self-generative ad is a tool that allows users to merge their personal interests with a brand’s identity. For example, imagine creating personalized images featuring a favorite hobby or scene – such as golf, basketball, tanks, or mountain climbing – and seamlessly integrating a brand logo or theme into these images. This technique effectively ‘brands’ each interest group’s experiences with the brand’s identity.
The success of this strategy lies in its customization and personalization aspects. When people create their own images, they engage with the brand on a deeper, more personal level. This engagement is not just a passive viewing of an advertisement; it’s an active, creative process where the user’s preferences and interests are directly incorporated into the brand’s imagery.
This approach transforms advertising. Traditional ads are one-way communications from the brand to the consumer. In this scenario, however, the consumer becomes a co-creator of the brand experience. It’s a two-way interaction where the brand becomes a part of the consumer’s personal and social identity.
The effectiveness of this strategy is in its subtlety and personalization. Rather than overtly pushing a product, it allows the brand to become a natural part of the consumer’s life and interests. This integration can lead to a stronger, more emotional connection between the consumer and the brand, influencing consumer behavior, preferences, and loyalty over time.
This concept isn’t just a fleeting campaign but a long-term strategy. By establishing a permanent platform for this kind of user-generated content, a brand can continuously evolve and stay relevant in the minds of its consumers. It’s about creating more than just a single memorable campaign; it’s about building an ongoing relationship where the brand becomes an integral part of the consumer’s life and identity. If executed well, this strategy can be a game-changer in how brands interact with and influence their target audiences.
