#Zero is a campaign aiming to raise awareness on misinformation about ‘healthier’ or ‘zero’ food options and the health risks associated with them.
This project began as a collaborative project with Gergana Sarieva, however, I developed it independently from the initial idea.
Having no context or examples, come up with a visual response to the brief ‘zero’ in one hour. It could be interpreted in any way, through any media.
The initial idea for #Zero came from the first ideas workshop in which our brief was ‘zero’. My partner and I interpreted ‘zero’ as a word that means nothing, especially when it comes to foods and beverages that claim to have zero sugar, calories or fats.
We looked at companies and products which also intended to give the impression that they are healthier options, when this is not the case. Zero to us meant zero honesty about the ingredients in these foods/drinks, so we created a GIF aiming to inform people that these “healthier” alternatives are not being completely honest about their ingredients their and possible effects.
I enjoyed researching this topic and believed I could do more with what I had found and all the ideas I had, so I decided that I would create a campaign.
“There is a 21% increased risk of diabetes among those consuming artificially sweetened beverages”.
“Those consuming artificially sweetened beverages have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes”.
“Consuming two or more diet drinks daily was associated with a 30% higher risk of cardiovascular events and overall mortality.”
“Regular consumption of artificial sweeteners was linked to a 9% increase in cardiovascular disease risk and an 18% higher risk of stroke”.
“Individuals who drink more than seven glasses of diet soda per week doubled their risk of kidney disease”.
Through research, I found that drinks such as Coke Zero replace sugar with artificial sweeteners and acid, phosphoric which lead to issues such as increased risk of heart disease, blood sugar problems, weight gain, and kidney disease. I focused my research and designs on heart disease and the links to blood sugar issues and diabetes.
“Approximately 139,255 individuals under the age of 40 living with type 2 diabetes in England and Wales”.
“In England, as of 2021–22, there were approximately 8,245 individuals aged 19–25 living with type 2 diabetes”.
Teens and young adults, particularly university students, are the perfect target audience for this campaign because they’re not only among the biggest consumers of diet and energy drinks, but also often face barriers to proper nutrition.
Many students struggle with tight budgets or packed schedules, leading them to skip meals and rely on fizzy or artificially sweetened drinks as quick fixes. While these drinks might seem like convenient or healthier options, regular consumption without proper food can contribute to serious health problems over time.
My campaign speaks directly to this reality, exposing the hidden risks and encouraging more informed choices during a critical stage of habit formation.
I created a series of posters which used a visual metaphor and limited language to communicate the health risks associated with drinking ‘diet’ or ‘zero’ beverages or food. Although they may seem like healthier alternatives, ingredients that replace those, such as sugar, can also lead to health problems and diseases.
Using a computer typeface in my campaign visually reinforces the core message that products like Coke Zero are artificial, engineered, and potentially harmful beneath the surface.
The typeface evokes a sense of coldness and synthetic precision, mirroring the lab-made nature of artificial sweeteners. Paired with glitch effects, it helps create a dystopian, “system error” aesthetic, suggesting that something in the body or the industry is malfunctioning.
This design choice also signals a data-driven, analytical tone, aligning your message with scientific credibility and disrupting the polished, cheerful branding of typical soda ads. It appeals to digitally literate audiences familiar with tech culture, while visually hinting that the truth behind these products is hidden in plain sight, coded, glitched, and ready to be exposed.
Using a red, white, and black color palette gives the campaign a bold, urgent tone that grabs attention and signals danger. Red evokes warning and health risks, black adds seriousness and contrast, while white brings a clinical, sterile feel. Together, they mirror and subvert Coke Zero’s branding, reinforcing my message about hidden harm in a visually striking way.
To bring this project to the next level, I decided to learn After Effects, in order to make a motion graphics sequence, which could reach a wider audience and bring awareness to this subject matter.
It starts off seeming like a regular Coke advertisement, however, a glitch reveals the hidden truth behind these drinks. The glitch naturally create cognitive dissonance and the audience's brain will notice that something is off, as well as reinforce the theme of ‘arftificial’.
I am visually aligning the form of my campaign with the content of my warning.
Please watch the animation full screen.
I designed images and animations, ranging from simple to more elaborate designs, which could be used on vastly different scales, from a phone screen to street signs and posters.
This would allow #Zero to reach a wider audience and increase the impact and communication of the designs and ideas.
This campaign would be rolled out nationwide, with a strong focus on reaching its target audience where they live, study, and socialise. Ideal locations include posters and digital screens outside schools, universities, bus stops, train stations, and high-traffic social spaces like shopping centres and corner shops, places where teens and young adults are most likely to engage with the message in their daily routines.
To strengthen the impact of my campaign, I introduced a clear call to action that directly engages the audience.
In the final frame of the video, I included two key calls to action: a hashtag, “Join the conversation: #Zero,” to spark discussion on social media, and a QR code linking to a website that provides further information on the drink’s ingredients and their associated health risks.
This call to action is also on all the posters and the back of my redesigned cans.
To leave a lasting impression, I ended with the slogan “Rethink your drink,” a concise and memorable phrase designed to reinforce my message and encourage the audience to reconsider their choices.
Zero is a public awareness campaign designed to challenge the misconceptions surrounding ‘zero’ sugar fizzy drinks. Developed in partnership between the NHS and Student Beans, the campaign aims to educate students about the hidden risks behind beverages that are marketed as “healthier” alternatives.
The campaign will travel to schools and universities across the country, making appearances at university freshers' fairs with interactive stalls and pop-up experiences. It will also engage students through health workshops, engaging talks, and creative social media activations to spark conversation and awareness.
Building on the feedback from Gabbi and Eden during my final presentation, and reflecting on my initial conversation with Kieran about manipulating the product to communicate my message, I took inspiration from cigarette packaging to redesign Coke Zero cans.
Cigarette packets are required to display bold health warnings, clearly stating the harmful substances they contain and the serious diseases they can cause. This direct, no-nonsense approach influenced my design. I applied a similar strategy to the Coke Zero packaging, highlighting the risks associated with its ingredients in a way that disrupts the usual branding.
I wanted to expand the campaign with more physical assets, and altering the product’s packaging felt like a powerful way to do that. These visuals also served as the foundation for new poster concepts, reinforcing the message across multiple formats.
