Creative Brief: Soft Reset Campaign

Brand: Coca-Cola
Product: CBD-infused Coca-Cola (Launch: Aug 8, 2026, National CBD Day)
Campaign Name: Soft Reset

Campaign Objective
CBD Coca-Cola’s Soft Reset campaign seeks to introduce a new role for Coca-Cola, not as an energy stimulant or party beverage, but as an emotional recovery ritual for Gen Z and Millennials navigating social fatigue, anxiety, and post-night overstimulation. The objective is to reposition Coca-Cola as the first legacy beverage brand to claim space in the wellness recovery market, bridging nostalgia with modern calm.

Target Audience
Young adults aged 18-34, primarily Gen Z and older Millennials who participate in nightlife, social events, and high-stimulation environments. This audience is culturally expressive yet internally anxious. They battle “emotional hangovers,” overthinking, and the need to decompress after intense social experiences. They order a hangover brunch, scroll in silence, and crave something comforting, familiar, and emotionally grounding.

Media Placement
The campaign will appear primarily in OOH formats like late-night urban billboards, bus shelters near nightlife districts, rideshare hubs, and digital screens in music venues and brunch corridors. Supplementary digital placements will run on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Spotify audio ads where emotional content resonates.

Current vs. Desired Perception
Currently, Coca-Cola is perceived as a classic, high-sugar, high-energy soda associated with meals, parties, and nostalgia. We aim to evolve perception toward Coca-Cola as a wellness-adjacent beverage, a trusted companion during recovery, reflection, and reset. We want consumers to see Coke not just as a taste, but as a feeling.

Why We Need This Ad
Culture is shifting from hype to healing. Gen Z doesn’t just want to escape, they want to exhale. This ad is necessary to affirm Coca-Cola’s relevance in a generation prioritizing mental health, self-awareness, and emotional honesty. Soft Reset positions Coca-Cola at the forefront of a new ritual: the day-after drink.

Final Campaign Tagline / OOH Headline

“From Party to Peace.”

Print Media Placement

Full-page spread in V Magazine
Rationale: V Magazine bridges music, nightlife, and fashion culture. It’s a hub for trendsetters, club kids, and creative millennials. It reaches the exact audience who lives in high-energy spaces by night but craves introspection by morning. The tagline’s simplicity and contrast make it visually powerful in a fashion-editorial layout.

OOH Placement

• Digital billboards leaving major nightlife zones like Los Angeles (Sunset Boulevard), New York (Lower East Side), Miami (Wynwood)
• Bus shelters and rideshare pickup zones outside clubs, festivals, late-night diners
• Post-party hotspots near brunch strips and greasy delis (Katz’s, Canter’s, Prince Street Pizza)

Rationale: These placements capture the cultural shift, the moment adrenaline drops and self-reflection begins. By appearing after the party, Coca-Cola positions itself as part of the recovery ritual, not the chaos.

Strategy Note

“From Party to Peace” encapsulates the emotional arc of the Soft Reset campaign – a journey from overstimulation to inner calm. The tagline directly addresses Gen Z and Millennials who move between nightlife, self-expression, and the inevitable comedown. Rather than celebrating the high, it validates the aftermath, when anxiety, exhaustion, and silence replace noise. The phrasing is rhythmic and symmetrical, mirroring the duality of their lifestyle: public chaos, private healing. Strategically, it repositions Coca-Cola from a party staple to a post-party companion, aligning with the introduction of CBD as a cultural wellness tool. The word “Peace” is essential, as it shifts Coca-Cola’s promise from happiness to healing. By claiming this emotional territory, Coca-Cola enters a new market: emotional wellness beverages.