Dive Brief:

• Coca-Cola debuted illustrative QR codes as part of it Coke Studio global music platform, per details shared with Marketing Dive. Coke says it is one of the first brands globally to leverage the unique QR codes in a marketing campaign.
• The codes were crafted by creative technologist and artist Troy Ni with Stable Diffusion and ControlNet technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to allow for a more artistic QR code than previously available.
• Created in partnership with WPP Open X, the codes debuted on out-of-home displays within movie theaters, stadiums and theme parks across the U.S. in August and are tied to Coke Studio’s latest song and video.

Dive Insight:

Coca-Cola’s latest campaign around its Coke Studio music platform looks to boost out-of-home engagement with QR codes that are intended to be more aesthetically attractive and interactive than the traditional black-and-white grids. Creative technologist and artist Troy Ni in June began sharing illustrative QR codes on Reddit, inspiring other artists and creators to experiment with unique QR codes. Ni utilized Stable Diffusion and ControlNet technology that uses AI to, demonstrating another way that the buzzy tech is affecting art and advertising.

Each of the five illustrative QR codes in the campaign ties to a different moment in video for “Be Who You Are (Real Magic),” the song recorded as part of the latest season of Coke Studio by Jon Batiste and featuring artists NewJeans, J.I.D, Camilo and Cat Burns. Consumers who scan the QR codes at movie theaters, stadiums and theme parks can view the video created for the campaign.

Coca-Cola in its first-quarter earnings called out Coke Studio as a highlight of its work with global marketing network partner WPP. The latest season of the music program at the time had drawn over 1 billion streams and is now an always-on program in 30 markets after being initially launched in Pakistan in 2008 before a global expansion in May 2022.

The QR code campaign is the marketer’s latest expansion of the Coke Studio program. Coca-Cola in July launched an immersive effort powered by generative AI that gives music festival-goers in the U.S. the chance to craft original music experiences.

Animal hijinks and playful puns fill the colorful prints of County Down-based artist Jo, also known as Strangford. Whippets in knits, bagel-scarfing badgers, and roly-poly felines are just a few of the characters that emerge from lino-cuts and Risographs. “The main surface I’m carving into is flooring lino—it comes in bigger pieces than artist lino—and plywood, though I’m a beginner at wood carving,” she tells Colossal. “I work from home. I’ve basically taken over the whole house now.”

With a background in ecology, Strangford discovered printmaking when she joined local Extinction Rebellion groups, decentralized initiatives designed to persuade governments to act on the climate emergency. “I had previously done a bit of digital work but fell in love with the process of carving and printing,” she says. During the pandemic, her work took on a more humorous and light-hearted quality. “When the world got more serious, my work became more playful.”

A solo exhibition of Strangford’s work opens tomorrow at The Workshop Ballynahinch and continues for two months. A selection of prints are available in the shop on her website, and you can follow updates on Instagram.

“Hole Food Diet”

“Silly Billies”

“Some Gulls Are Bigger Than Others”

“I’m Just a Paw Boy From a Paw Family”

“Semi-Snaked”

“Le Beak, C’est Chic”

“Long Otter”

“Ribbit For Her Pleasure”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Picky Eaters and Critters in Knits Populate Strangford’s Playful Animal Prints appeared first on Colossal.