Coke bottles taste of dreams for latest experimental flavor

• Coca-Cola announced the fourth and final product from its Creations platform for 2022, called Coca-Cola Dreamworld. The soda seeks to capture the taste of dreams and will be available in the U.S. and Canada starting Aug. 15, per a company release.
• The marketer will promote Dreamworld through a variety of digital and experiential activations. Consumers that scan a QR code on packaging can access the Coca-Cola Creations Hub, which includes an augmented reality (AR) music experience, a digital fashion collection for the metaverse and more. The effort also includes AR Snapchat lenses and out-of-home (OOH) elements.
• With its latest Creations flavor, Coca-Cola seeks to tap into Gen Z’s passions and cultural trends around the power of the mind. The brand is utilizing a mix of channels that could help it engage with these target younger consumers.

Coca-Cola has bottled up “the technicolor tastes and surrealism of the subconscious” for the year’s final launch from its Creations platform. Introduced in February, Creations has sought to generate sales by turning concepts and experiences like space and pixels into limited-run flavors with associated marketing experiences.

“Coca-Cola Dreamworld taps into Gen Z’s passion for the infinite potential of the mind by exploring what a dream tastes like,” said Alessandra Cascino, creative and shopper program director for Coca-Cola North America, in a statement.

Along with tapping into Gen Z’s interests, Coca-Cola will attempt to meet the cohort with relevant content and collaborations. The Coca-Cola Creations Hub includes an AR music experience created in collaboration with leading EDM festival Tomorrowland and a metaverse-ready digital fashion collection designed with DressX.

Similar tactics were used to boost previous Creations products. In another metaverse-minded play, Coke partnered with gaming organization PWR on a Pixel Point Island in Fortnite to promote Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte. The marketer also dove into the world of electronic music by collaborating with DJ-producer Marshmello on a limited-edition flavor.

In addition to the digital hub and AR activations on Snapchat, the Dreamworld launch features OOH elements such as bus takeovers, 3D signage, hand-painted murals and an appearance on the brand’s Times Square billboard. Plus, Coke will embrace the continued return of experiential by popping up on college campuses as students return to school.

While it’s unclear what Dreamworld actually tastes like, Coca-Cola is emphasizing the dreamy motif by using shapes, colors and a 3D expression of Coke’s signature script to create an “illusionary visual landscape” on packaging, in-store merchandising and other elements of the campaign.

Coca-Cola last quarter increased consumer-facing spending to create more value for brands even as prices increased. The company reported 12% year-on-year growth in net revenue to $11.3 billion. The marketer saw promising early results from product innovations like Coke Starlight, the product that kicked off Creations.