Deals on everything possible and impossible
Coop
When Coop Östra tasked us with creating a campaign for January – arguably the toughest financial month of the year – we saw an opportunity to think outside the box. Instead of the usual product-centric visuals that dominate sales and discount campaigns, we chose to shift the focus to the consumer.
What we didn’t anticipate was the media frenzy that followed. The use of AI-generated imagery sparked widespread discussion, with articles in Aftonbladet, Aftonbladet Facebook, Daglivarunytt, P3 Nyheter, Citynytt, Sveriges Radio, Resumé Debate, two threads on Reddit, Reddit and on Nordisk AI debating the role of artificial intelligence in modern advertising. The campaign not only resonated with consumers – it became part of a bigger conversation.
One funny thing was that Aftonbladet’s article was written with the help of AI: “Sammanfattningen är gjord med stöd av Al-verktyg från OpenAl och kvalitetssäkrad av Aftonbladet.”
I liked this comment in Social Media: “Ni som klagar pả att Coop tar jobben från arbetarna genom att använda modern teknik, borde inte ni skriva brev till Coop istället för att använda modern teknik som sociala medier? Då kanske portot inte behöver höjas och vi får fler brevbärare?”
When the debater Ulrica Good comments on Coops earlier adverts, it just makes me laugh: “När jag tänker på COOP:s reklamfilmer är det helt blankt. Jag var tvungen att googla för att komma ihåg vad de gör. Och de är helt ok, men inget som fastnar.” That was exactly why we created this campaign – to stand out and be remembered and also try something new.
And the photographer Gustav Hallén wanted to show off and score some easy points. When he showcased his AI skills, he took a video frame screenshot from our campaign – a compressed video banner animated with AI in a 4×5 format – and used it for comparison. But for a fair test, I would have liked to see his still images animated first, then screenshotted at a random keyframe, and also in the correct compressed format. Naturally, his images would look better in that setup.
Interestingly, while Gustav was quick to respond to comments agreeing with him, he never engaged with this perspective. It’s always easier to entertain an echo chamber than to face a balanced conversation. Perhaps it’s a reminder that true creativity isn’t just about showing off skills – it’s about being open to all sides of the discussion.
Update – Three Months Later (2025-04-26) Remarkably, the campaign saw a new wave of attention three months after its initial launch. Svenska Dagbladet featured the campaign with a full-page spread in its weekend print edition – one of Sweden’s most prestigious newspapers – sparking renewed discussion. The story was also shared by Åkestam Holst on their official Instagram, further amplifying the exposure.
This resurgence highlights the campaign’s lasting impact and its ability to stay relevant over time.
Did some calculations with Chat GPT on this campaign – turns out the free exposure is worth a lot!
Range per channel
• Aftonbladet.se: ~300.000 views
• Aftonbladets Facebook: 10.000–20.000 views
• Citynytt: ~100.000 readers
• Dagligvarunytt: ~50.000 readers
• Sveriges Radio (Morgonpasset): ~500.000 listeners
• P3 Nyheter Instagram: ~160.000 followers
• LinkedIn post (Ulrica Good, freelance writer): ~157.000 views
• LinkedIn post (Max Rosell): 27.000 views
• LinkedIn post (Gustav Hallén): ~40 000 views
• Reddit posts: 140.000 views
• Nordisk AI: 50.000–100.000 views
• Resumé.se (debate article): 50.000–100.000 views
• Svenska Dagbladet (print edition): ~500.000 readers
• Svenska Dagbladet (SvD.se): ~100.000 readers
• Åkestam Holst Instagram: ~10.000 views
Total reach: ~2,38–2,43 million people
PR value (ad cost for equivalent exposure)
• Aftonbladet.se: SEK 50.000–100.000
• Aftonbladets Facebook: SEK 10.000–25.000
• Citynytt: SEK 25.000–50.000
• Dagligvarunytt: SEK 25.000–50.000
• Sveriges Radio (Morgonpasset): SEK 100.000–200.000
• P3 Nyheter Instagram: SEK 50.000–100.000
• LinkedIn post (Ulrica Good, freelance writer): SEK 50.000–110.000
• LinkedIn post (Max Rosell): SEK 10.000–25.000
• LinkedIn post (Gustav Hallén, Photographer): SEK 15.000–30.000
• Reddit posts: SEK 30.000–60.000
• Nordisk AI: SEK 20.000–40.000
• Resumé.se (debate article): SEK 25.000–50.000
• Svenska Dagbladet (print edition): SEK 100.000–200.000
• Svenska Dagbladet (SvD.se): SEK 50.000–100.000
• Åkestam Holst Instagram post: SEK 5.000–10.000
Total estimate with PR value: SEK ~565.000–1.180.000
Creative Lead/Art Director/AI prompt: Max Rosell
Creative/Copywriter: Peter Fjäll
Creative/Art Director: Magnus Färnström
Account Executive: Ola Granfeldt
Account Manager: Amelie Lagerstedt
Final Art: Olof Rogbrant
Production Company: Adeprimo
AI animator: Arthur Machado
Post producer/Motion Designer: Verena Grahn
Retouch: RBLS
Advertising Agency: BANG Agency
