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Ask: Develop a bold, attention-grabbing, social-first campaign that positions Coca-Cola Zero Sugar as the essential drink for meal occasions.
Problem: Coke Zero lacks it’s own identity
Target: Gen Zero - 18-31 year olds who are figuring who they are while battling anxieties and uncertainties.
Insight: Eating has nothing to do with food and everything to do with culture.
Strategy: Make Eating A Lifestyle.
A Coke Zero Sugar campaign developed for the 2026 Young Ones Advertising Competition, where we repositioned it as the drink for people who eat.
EAT DOWN, DRINK UP
SHORT N’ SWEET
THE ASK
Develop a bold, attention-grabbing, social-first campaign that positions Coca-Cola Zero Sugar as the essential drink for meal occasions.
Coke Zero Sugar was created as a replacement for Diet Coke to offer a zero sugar soda that tastes more like Coke Original.
PROBLEM
Unlike its sister sodas, Coke Zero lacks a distinct identity and fails to stand out on its own.
Coke Zero hasn’t found its niche yet.
But did you know…
Coke Zero is Gen Z
〰️
Coke Zero is Gen Z 〰️
1916
1982
2005
Millennial
Beyond Boomer
Gen Z
The drink was released in 2005, making Coke Zero the youngest child in the Coke family. And like most twenty year olds, it’s still figuring out who it is.
Who better to talk to Gen Z than one of their own?
OBJECTIVE
Position Coke Zero Sugar as an essential drink for Gen Z mealtime.
Gen Z doesn’t do “MEAL TIME”
But there’s just one problem…
“I don’t even have a set time I eat. I just eat whenever I’m hungry.”
“It is currently 5:33pm where I am, and I am preparing my first and only meal of the day lmfao.”
“I’ll have breakfast or dinner whenever the fuck I feel like.”
Reddit Users
ONLY
26%
of Gen Z reported eating three meals daily
OVER
of 18–24-year-olds prefer eating more flexibly than by rigid mealtimes
64%
So how can Coke Zero Sugar be an essential meal-time drink for a generation that doesn’t eat meals???
GEN ZERO
18-26 year olds who are figuring who they are while battling anxieties and uncertainties.
They speak their own language
They may not like meals…but they sure love to eat.
For a generation that’s shunning meal-time, it’s funny just how much of their slang revolves around food.
“LEFT NO CRUMBS”
“SHE’S SERVING”
“THIS EATS”
“I’M COOKED”
“YOU ATE”
“YOU’RE FRYING ME”
“BODY TEA”
“HE’S CHOPPED”
GEN Z IS HUNGRY
INSIGHT
Eating has nothing to do with food and everything to do with their culture.
Gen Z made eating a language
Coke Zero can
Make Eating A Lifestyle.
Instead of waiting for meals, Coke Zero Sugar will show up whenever Gen Z is actually eating.
EAT DOWN, DRINK UP
Case Study Video submitted to Young Ones Competition
OOH
Coke Zero Sugar will show up everywhere Gen Z is eating with OOH spots near college campuses, gyms, in major cities, and on public transportation.
INFLUENCERS
Coke Zero Sugar will send PR packages and merch to up and coming influencers and celebrities who have been devouring.
ZARA LARSSON
EATS DOWN
After breaking out with hits like “Lush Life” and “Never Forget You”, Zara Larsson hit new heights with her 2025 single “Midnight Sun”, earning her first ever Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
QUEN BLACKWELL
After growing a following with her online comedy and bold personality, Quen went from a viral content creator to a star. From hosting her hit Youtube Series, and even guest starring in HBO comedy series “I Love LA”, she has become one of Gen Z’s most influential creators.
IS TEA
MARCELLO HERNANDEZ
IS FRYING US
From viral stand-up sketches and comedy to joining the cast of Saturday Night Live, Marcello has become one of the breakout comedy stars of his generation. In 2026 he released his first Netflix stand-up special, solidifying his place in the comedy world.
ALEX CONSANI
IS SERVING
After rapidly rising in the fashion world due to her distinctive style and commanding runway presence, Alex Consani earned the 2024 Model of the Year award at the Fashion Awards, making her the first transgender woman to do so.
SOCIAL
Feeding people’s feed by showing up in real time to celebrate Gen Z pop culture moments that eat.
Merch available for purchase to encourage Gen Zero to eat on their own time.
Drag Queens invented eating.
“She ate” is a term coined in the 2000s that gained popularity through the underground ballroom scene, particularly amongst queer Black and Latinx drag artists.
So Coke Zero Sugar will pay tribute to the originators of the language Gen Z co-opted.
ONYA NURVE JUST COOKED
BIANCA DEL RIO ATE YOU UP
TRIXIE & KATYA LEFT NO CRUMBS
We chose 4 Drag Queen influencers we feel represent the campaign through both popularity and tone. Just in time for Pride, we’ll send them PR packages and announce them as the hosts and judges of our ballroom event.
HOUSE OF ZERO
By hosting their first ever ballroom, Coke Zero will spark a buzz worth moment designed to drive earned media, press coverage and social amplification.
TEAM
Libby Browder (CBM) | Thomas Halsey (CW) | Clarke Weddington (AD) | Leah Silverman (AD)