“After the Noise: Why Brands Must Care About the Comedown, Not Just the Celebration”

By: Chief Innovation & Wellness Officer, The Coca-Cola Company

We’ve spent decades building brands for parties, games, concerts, and victory parades. But somewhere between the confetti and the Uber ride home, a truth emerged that our industry rarely names: people don’t always feel good after they have fun. The most universal human experience isn’t the party itself, it’s what happens when it’s over.

Today’s generation, especially Gen Z and younger Millennials, lives in contrast. They chase intensity yet wake up in anxiety. They post the night, then hide the morning. We’ve glamorized stimulation and ignored recovery. As a company responsible for some of the world’s most iconic rituals, we asked ourselves a hard question: What good is joy if we don’t acknowledge the comedown?

That question pushed us toward a new chapter – and yes, a bold one. This year, Coca-Cola will introduce a CBD-infused Coca-Cola designed not to fuel the party but to care for what follows. We call it the Soft Reset, for the mornings when coffee feels harsh, energy drinks feel impossible, and you need a gentler ritual, essentially, the exhale before you begin again.

CBD, to us, isn’t a novelty; it is a cultural acknowledgment. Stress, overstimulation, and emotional burnout have become normalized, yet seldom addressed by legacy brands. If our purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference, then refreshment must include permission to pause. We are not entering wellness to sell calm; we are entering it to validate calm and are doing so openly, responsibly, and with clear guardrails.

That responsibility matters. When a legacy company develops a product for emotional recovery, it must do so with governance worthy of trust: rigorous third-party testing, transparent labeling, age-appropriate placement, and marketing practices that respect vulnerable audiences. Wellness should make moderation easier – not invent new extremes. Our standard is simple: if we cannot do this responsibly, we will not do it.

Well-being no longer looks like perfection. Sometimes it looks like yesterday’s eyeliner, a deli sandwich, and the grace to start over. If Coca-Cola can be there not only when people toast, but when they recover – then we are evolving from a product that refreshes to a partner that understands.

The future of brand leadership won’t be measured in how high we take people, but in how gently we help them land. The world has enough noise. It’s time for more Soft Resets.

Strategy Note

This thought-leadership piece positions Coca-Cola as a cultural leader moving beyond celebration toward emotional responsibility. By acknowledging post-social anxiety and embracing CBD as a wellness tool, the message reframes the brand’s legacy from “Open Happiness” to Soft Reset: care, calm, and recovery. The op-ed strengthens credibility by using a future-facing executive voice, signaling that Coca-Cola is not chasing trends but addressing real human needs. This approach deepens trust with Gen Z and Millennials who demand authenticity, vulnerability, and purpose from modern brands.