Over 30 digital artists, creative technologists and entrepreneurs from around the world convened last week at The Coca‑Cola Company’s global headquarters in Atlanta for the first-ever ‘Real Magic Creative Academy’. The three-day innovation symposium explored the intersection of creativity and generative AI technology through an agenda packed with learning sessions, networking events and co-creation workshops.
The artists, including winners from this year’s ‘Create Real Magic’ campaign, were given access to Coca‑Cola brand assets, the latest AI tools and a blank canvas to create. After touring the Coca‑Cola archives and World of Coca‑Cola for an immersive look at how the brand has collaborated with artists such as Andy Warhol and Haddon Sundblom throughout its 137-year history, participants got a sneak peek of upcoming AI-powered Coca‑Cola campaigns.
They also heard about how generative AI enables the future of creativity from Nvidia and Bain and Company. They responded to real-world creative briefs from Japanese fashion brand A Bathing Ape (BAPE) and global drop culture gurus Highsnobiety during co-creation sessions focused on the intersection of culture, fashion and technology.
“The Real Magic Creative Academy proved that world-class creativity can happen in minutes or hours, not days or weeks, and that technologists with diverse backgrounds and disciplines can collaborate effectively,” said Pratik Thakar, Senior Director, Generative AI, The Coca‑Cola Company.
The symposium was modelled after tech company-organized developer conferences.
“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 compelling outputs and create a benchmark for future generations of AI creators.”
Coca-Cola has intentionally created a community of like-minded artists who it hopes will stay connected and collaborate in the near future.”
The Real Magic Creative Academy followed the launch of ‘Create Real Magic’, a campaign that invited AI creators, tech enthusiasts, artists and everyday fans to use Coca‑Cola creative assets to create their artworks leveraging GPT-4 and DALL-E.
Emerging technologies such as generative AI provide opportunities to co-create with artists in new and exciting ways and to test, learn and scale ideas quickly.
“Coca‑Cola is not just a brand or product; it’s a pop culture icon.”
When you combine that with Coca-Cola’s legacy of artist collaboration and commitment to innovation and its ahead-of-the-curve adoption of AI, the company is uniquely positioned to embrace this revolutionary technology with speed and agility.
