Coke launches ‘AI-powered instrument’ to capture the sounds of cola
The beverage giant claims that it has tapped into principles of neuroscience to convey a satisfying auditory experience.
The Coke SoundZ app is accompanied by a physical instrument shaped like a bottle of Coke Zero. / Coca-Cola
In its latest step into the world of AI-fueled marketing, Coca-Cola has built a musical instrument that purports to leverage both AI and neuroscience to simulate the experience of drinking one of its products.
Through a new app called Coke SoundZ, users can create their own melodies based on the sounds of cracking open and taking a sip from a bottle of Coke.
According to a press release from the brand, the sounds conveyed through the app – phsst, fizz, clink, glug, ahhh – are all “likely to trigger a satisfying feeling in our brains.”
The app’s user interface includes five toggles representing each of the cola-derived sounds above a button that says “AI generate,” suggesting that an algorithm is used to mix the sounds.
Beyond that, Coke is vague in its explanation of how AI actually comes into play with this new marketing effort. The technology is used, according to the press release, “to analyze the waveforms” from the sounds of the soda-drinking experience.
At the time of writing, the company has not responded to a request for more details about its use of AI in this campaign.
Similarly, few details were provided about the neuroscience allegedly undergirding the effort. To build Coke SoundZ, the brand teamed up with Katherine Lewis, who, according to her LinkedIn profile, is a cognitive scientist and “science communicator.”
“From the sound of the fizz to the clink of the ice, every noise triggers a sense of anticipation that releases dopamine in our brains,” Lewis said in Coke’s press release. “We incorporated this science into the AI, seeking to provide sounds that are uplifting and enjoyable.”
In addition to the digital instrument – available for free on the App Store and Google Play – Coke has also launched a physical version of Coke SoundZ, which is shaped like a glass bottle of Coke Zero and is being distributed to a handful of DJs, music producers and creators to encourage them to create their own tracks.
Like the app, the physical instrument offers an array of additional sound settings, allowing it to produce various synth tones and providing musicians with a wider range of creative options.
@andyarthursmith Watch me build this track from scratch with Coke SoundZ! Try it for yourself! https://cokeurl.com/CokeSoundz @Coca-Cola #BestCokeEver #cokepartner ♬ original sound - Andy Arthur Smith
The new campaign isn’t Coke’s first foray AI-centric marketing. In November, the beverage giant launched a campaign on Sphere in Las Vegas, featuring AI-generated imagery, to promote its Y3000 Zero Sugar soda. Earlier in 2023, the brand launched its ’Create Real Magic’ challenge, in which artists were tasked with using generative AI models to create new Coke-branded content.
Coke SoundZ – an extension of Coke’s ongoing Real Magic campaign – was developed in partnership with WPP Open X and AKQA.
According to the company’s press release, the instrument is already being used in a marketing campaign for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and there are plans to integrate it into future music-focused brand campaigns.
For more on the latest happenings in AI, web3 and other cutting-edge technologies, sign up for The Emerging Tech Briefing newsletter.