See Inside Coke’s Trippy AI-Powered Pop-Up Experience

The beverage brand partnered with Momentum Worldwide to create a bright, bold space to introduce its newest flavor, Coke Spiced.

Michele Laufik

March 20, 2024

Consumers were able to taste the new beverage and create a visual manifestation of their experience using AI-generated prompts.Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide

NEW YORK—To introduce its new product, Coke Spiced, Coca-Cola hosted an AI-powered experience, in collaboration with Storm Reid, that brought attendees' taste buds to life.

Based on the actress’ impressions of the new flavor—which features a blend of raspberry and warm spices—Momentum Worldwide transformed a SoHo building into a larger-than-life art exhibition.

At the “Spiced Shop,” which was open to the public March 1 and 2, consumers were able to taste the new beverage and create a visual manifestation of their experience using AI-generated prompts.

Inside, massive LED walls featuring AI-generated animations greeted visitors. Coca-Cola brand ambassadors were stationed throughout the space to offer samples and walk attendees through the interactive tasting experience.

At the AI tasting stations, guests answered a series of prompts about the flavor, such as what they tasted, felt, and pictured when they tried the beverage. Their personalized, AI-generated animation was then added to the library of visuals across the screens in the space—“creating an ever-evolving pop-up experience that doubled as a crowdsourced work of art.” The images were also emailed to the attendees.

“Instead of explaining the flavor to guests and having them try it after, we had them try the beverage first and then tell us what it tasted like,” explained James Robinson, chief creative officer, North America, at Momentum Worldwide. “It’s a complete 180 on how we normally trial a Coca-Cola beverage, and impossible to accomplish without the help of an AI experience like this one.”

He added that “in this way, each attendee left their own personal mark on the Spiced Shop—and no two saw it the same.” Over two days, more than 4,000 people visited the space.

Keep scrolling to see key vendors and more from inside the Coke Spiced Shop...

VENDORS

Agency: Momentum Worldwide
AV: Studio Productions
Fabrication: Dimensional Worldwide
Venue: ELM by Atelier Collective

“We wanted the facade to be what pulled guests in,” Robinson said, describing the exterior as "controlled chaos." He added that the city’s permitting process was one of the driving factors behind the decision to use the SoHo building. “We had actually decided on a different building originally, but due to it being considered a historic landmark, the permitting for what we wanted to do to it quickly became a challenge.” The build was done over a period of seven days.

Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/@momentumww

Inside, massive LED walls featuring AI-generated animations greeted visitors.

Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide

Consumers were able to taste the new beverage and create a visual manifestation of their experience using AI-generated prompts.

Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide

The pop-up featured visual nods to the flavor's blend of raspberry and warm spices.

Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/@momentumww

“While it’s a maximalist space by design, once you look past the lights, vinyl graphics, the colorful sculptures, and chrome columns, you see the Spiced Shop actually offered a unique visual experience for every individual. Because beyond the social sharing capabilities, each AI-generated animation output got added to the Spiced Shop LED visual repository that informed the screens across every corner of the space," Robinson explained.

Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide

“It’s an interesting challenge to design a space that must bring a campaign world to real life, and yet allow for the public to shape it to their will,” Robinson said. Elements like chrome walls, neon lights, and a variety of colorful sculptural elements like that found in the brand’s “It’s This” TV commercials were incorporated into the space.

Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide

Coca-Cola brand ambassadors were stationed throughout the space to offer samples.

Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide

At the AI tasting stations, guests answered a series of prompts about the flavor, such as what they tasted, felt, and pictured when they tried the beverage.

Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide