The world needs more Santa
From the Archives to AI
A first-of-its-kind digital experience lets consumers have a real-time, AI-powered conversation with Santa to generate a customized snow globe to share on social media. Coca‑Cola collaborated with industry-leading partners to develop the custom tools that power the “Create Real Magic” experience. The consumer experience, which brings Santa from the Coca‑Cola archives to consumer screens in stunning detail, is made possible through collaborations with top creative and technology partners including Accenture, Microsoft, Leonardo.ai, Mimic and OpenAI
Codifying Sundblom Santa
Body
Designing for a seamless Human-AI Experience
In defining the human–AI relationship, we asked: “How should they interact? What makes the connection feel real?” As a result, our focus centers on four key areas:
ECOSYSTEM DESIGN
To create a smooth and reliable experience, we have orchestrated a complex network of AI agents so they work seamlessly together.
To ensure the activation feel brand consistent. Visual elements were pulled from holiday brand guidelines.
In the chat interface, ornaments visuals from brand guidelines appear as typing elements, adding a subtle festive flair as users wait for Santa’s responses.
3D Design
Santa’s signature features—his rosy cheeks, flowing white hair, and even the subtle detail that he never really shows his teeth—had to be carefully documented. By defining what truly makes Sundblom Santa unique, we ensured no detail was overlooked.
From the start, we designed Santa’s 3D assets for scalability—ensuring these visuals could live far beyond Create Real Magic 3.0, and seamlessly adapt to new platforms and future AI applications
Using MoCap, it allows us to capture even the most nuanced expressions and movements.”
Visual Design
Even the Snow Globe loading sequences have been carefully designed to maintain immersion and delight.
Non-Santa Design
Beyond Santa himself, we also developed non-Santa characters and animations to broaden our ecosystem of engaging AI-driven personas.
Out of Home Activations
Create Real Magic 3.0 was launched with activations in Time Square in New York and Piccadilly square in London. Each activation was carefully curated to take advantage of the format and display technology to create an immersive experience.
Conversation Design
Human-AI Design
Human-AI design is not just one dimensional. It requires to look at all dimensions to create seamless and engaging human-machine interaction. Create Real Magic 3.0 was a showcase of everything we’ve accomplished through the synergy of design and AI.