Winnie Harlow on why she has partnered with Coke for AI holiday campaign

The Canadian model and entrepreneur talks to The Drum about her family’s holiday traditions, her partnership with Coca-Cola and how she uses her creativity to show up in unexpected places.

Winnie Harlow first appeared on screens in 2014 as a contestant on America’s Next Top Model. Since then, she has become one of the world’s leading fashion models, has been revealed as the face of luxury brands such as Fendi and Marc Jacobs and has graced the covers of countless magazines, including Vogue and i-D.

Last year, the 29-year-old also launched her own business, a sun care line called Cay Skin. She’s also a fierce public spokesperson for the skin condition vitiligo, which is when portions of the skin have depigmentation – something she was diagnosed with at the age of four.

It’s part of the reason that the model was drawn to her latest brand partnership, an AI holiday card campaign with Coca-Cola. As an advocate for representation, she has never shied away from being open about her experiences of being bullied while growing up due to her appearance.

“What drew me to the project is the representation that you can create yourself during the holidays, in amazing, easy-to-make holiday cards,” Harlow tells The Drum. “I had so much fun creating my own for myself, my family and my friends. What drew me in is just being able to showcase myself and my loved ones in a personalized way.”

Through Coca-Cola’s ‘Create Real Magic’ platform, users can enter prompts to the AI that will then make something representative of their festive season. The brand is also giving unprecedented access to its iconic characters and imagery.

“Growing up, I never got to see myself in mainstream media,” says Harlow. ”Throughout my career, I’ve kind of trailblazed and created a space for people to be able to see themselves and for the door to be open for others to walk.”

It’s not just about being seen, though, she says, but also being viewed in a way that feels authentic. “Many of the cards you can buy in shops don’t always reflect the world we live in, or even where you are in the world. This partnership is about more than just creating images; it’s about setting a new standard for representation in all forms of media.”

The Jamaican-Canadian star has created four unique cards that represent different aspects of her life and heritage. One is a glamorous nod to her unique sense of style, another is a joyful scene on a Jamaican beach, a third is a snowy, cozy Canadian tribute and the last is a look to the future.

“I spent a lot of holidays in Jamaica and I always loved going and spending time with my grandparents and getting to see family at the holidays, no matter where. I think that what draws you to your heritage and where you’re from is family and love.”

Her grandmother is someone that she always looked up to, the elder being the first fashionista she ever knew. “She was the first person I ever saw wear and pull off leopard print. She is also a Leo, just like me. My family always says I am my grandmother reincarnated.”

Sartorial accomplishments aside, throughout her career, Harlow has utilized digital spaces and cultivated a staggering online presence. She has over 10 million followers on Instagram alone. With this Coca-Cola campaign, she says that she took into consideration the use of AI and notes that it didn’t take away any of her creativity. “It’s very important to make sure that we’re utilizing AI responsibly, in a way that benefits, highlights and helps humans, rather than replacing. This application allowed me to dive further into my creativity, which I really loved.”

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From her fashion looks to marketing her brand, thinking outside the box is something that Harlow prides herself on. Just this week, she landed in Gag City, an online pink utopia built by Nicki Minaj and her hardcore fans, known as Barbz, to promote the rapper’s highly anticipated Pink Friday 2 record.

The pastel-hued metropolis has become a hot spot for AI-generated images of products, brands and celebrities alike.

“It was so amazing that, if you think about it, the Barbz kind of created Nicki’s marketing plan for the album drop. She always says, ‘$50k for a verse, no album out,’ and this is basically a very similar situation. She drops an album and it’s all over the world because of the Barbz and the creation of AI and how easy it was for them to be able to make their wildest imaginations run wild.”

Harlow says that Cay Skin needed to be on Pink Friday Boulevard in Gag City. The image she posted of her in the digital location features an AI version of the model holding her sun care product while on top of a pink plane, about to land.

She likes that you need to be quite specific with AI to get the desired results. “You have to let your creative juices flow. When it comes to creating my Christmas cards, I was pretty specific on the things I wanted to create so that it could be as close to me and what I wanted it to be as possible.”

The Coca-Cola festive campaign will launch in 80 markets worldwide. The brand’s global head of generative, AI Pratik Thakar, says: “We are flipping the script. We are literally putting the power of our brand into our fan’s hands.”