Tacky Christmas sweater lovers rejoice. Coke Zero wants you to “harness the power of a thousand grandmothers in the palm of your Internet.” With the help of Droga5, the cola brand has knitted up a new “Sweater Generator” to let holiday hipsters digitally create their dream theme pullover – and enter for a chance to win a real version of it.
Sweater makers can choose from a variety of colors and silly graphics, including a cobra with a santa hat on, a Yeti and, naturally, a needlepoint Coke Zero Can.
“Our goal was to reach millennials both female and male, as they spend an inordinate amount of time searching online for the tackiest sweaters to wear to tacky sweater holiday parties,” said Bobby Oliver, senior brand manager for Coke Zero at Coca-Cola North America. “We just thought we could help them out.”
Once the sweater is finished, makers are given the option to “Set the mood” with several landscape backgrounds, some less wintry than others, before submitting. You can share your creation via Facebook or Twitter, or, “sign in manually if you are from 1996,” by providing your email.
Submitted sweaters will then be voted on by other tacky sweater lovers, and the top 100 sweaters will be made by machine and shipped, along with a sample of Coke Zero, to the lucky contestants in time for the holiday season. So far, Coke Zero has seen 1,800 submissions, so competition is fierce.
Lest you forget from whence your sweater came, Coke has affixed a label so that you will always have fond wintry memories of the calorie-free drink.
More in Marketing
Kroger’s AI shopping assistant has ads at launch
Kroger has made advertising part of its AI shopping assistant, following the implementation of advertising features on competitors’ chatbots.
OpenAI brings product carousels to ChatGPT ads
It builds on OpenAI’s product feed campaigns, bringing a Google Shopping-style carousel format to ChatGPT ahead of the Q4 holiday period.
Digiday+ Research: The 2026 guide to holiday marketing strategies, including A-Frame Brands, Mastercard and Ritual
Shoppers continue to grapple with higher prices and affordability, while brands face rising operating costs and increased pressure to prove their marketing dollars are delivering measurable returns.