Coke Threds Ad Campaign

Marketing and graphic design project

During my internship at Offlimit Experiential Agency in Johannesburg, I was tasked with both defining the aesthetic and innovating the brand essence of Coke Threds, a project which tied Coca-Cola to an E-Commerce apparel platform partnered with underprivileged African clothing designers and was designed to appeal to Gen Z.

My internship was structured into four steps:

Initial Research
Creation of an Aesthetic Model
Presentation
Collaborative Creation of a Lookbook

Initial Research

Secondary Research

Most of my research was conducted through:

An Analysis of Social Media Sentiments
Research Into Articles
Documentaries Charting Design Conceptions in the Modern Era

These sources pointed towards a trend within Gen Z where they valued defined yet experimental aesthetics. Having grown up surrounded by technology, effective corporate messaging would take the form of design that is both eye catching and consistent to their preconceived notions built through the internet.

Creation of an Aesthetic Model and Presentation

My research was then used as the basis of the creation of an aesthetic model, which included the image on the left. I placed multiple models on a slide deck, with secondary research which backed up why these designs would appeal specifically to Gen Z. I then presented this slide deck to a group of partners and designers in Offlimit.

My presentation and the models within it were then used as inspiration and the foundation of a lookbook for the entire ad campaign. I further took on an active role as a designer, working in tandem with professionals to create the final lookbook presented below.

Lookbook

Evaluation

This internship would be the first step in radically transforming my future career path. Before, as I was pursuing my History major I planned on becoming a lawyer. But after collaborating with graphic designers, creating a lookbook and witnessing how my designs could impact and alter perceptions, particularly those of people of color in South Africa, I fell in love with the field.

My time working for Offlimit was a catalyst for my rapid growth as a professional, in both collaborative and design work. Eventually, this would lead to my discovery of user experience, which was a perfect amalgamation of both my passion for design and research.