Coca-Cola
Scholars Foundation:
40 Years of Impact,
A Legacy of Leaders
Turning Uncertainty Into
a Signature Experience
When AVmedia was brought into the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation’s 40th Anniversary Banquet project, the engagement initially centered around supporting an agency partner with creative development and visual execution. Early responsibilities included concept development, thumbing, and producing creative assets that aligned with the Foundation’s vision for a milestone celebration honoring four decades of scholars and impact.
Two months into the planning process, the Art Director leading the creative initiative transitioned to another project. Suddenly, AVmedia was tasked with stepping into a much larger leadership role — guiding a client relationship that had not originally been built around our team while simultaneously maintaining momentum on an event with significant visibility and emotional importance.
Rather than allowing the transition to disrupt the process, our team leaned into collaboration, adaptability, and ownership.
Building the Creative Foundation
Over the next six months, AVmedia partnered closely
with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation team to
establish the creative identity and visual storytelling
for the event.
Our responsibilities included:
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Developing the event theme tagline
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Creating the overall event look and visual direction
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Designing the Save the Date campaign
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Designing the formal invitation
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Creating presentation slide templates and graphics
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Producing a sponsor recognition loop video
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An on-site video capture of the arrival of Scholars +
24-hour turnaround in time for event -
Producing two feature videos celebrating 40 years of scholars:
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A foundational story of the program’s origins
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An impact-focused story highlighting the Foundation’s
influence over four decades
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Throughout the project, our team worked closely with Foundation
stakeholders to ensure every creative element aligned with the
tone, prestige, and legacy of the organization.
Capturing Stories Across the Country
One of the most meaningful aspects of the project involved collaborating with Coca-Cola Scholars alumni to bring authentic voices into the celebration. AVmedia coordinated interviews with former scholars across the country, partnering with local crews and production teams to capture
footage and voiceovers that reflected the program’s lasting impact.
These interviews became the emotional
centerpiece of the anniversary videos —
connecting past and present scholars while
reinforcing the Foundation’s mission and legacy.
Managing production across multiple
locations required extensive coordination,
scheduling, creative oversight, and
communication to ensure consistency
in storytelling and visual quality.
Delivering a Cohesive Event Experience
After six months of creative development,
production, revisions, and collaboration,
every detail culminated in one unforgettable
evening celebrating the Coca-Cola Scholars
Foundation’s 40th Anniversary.
The final event experience successfully
unified all visual and storytelling
components into a polished, emotionally
resonant celebration that reflected the
significance of the milestone.
The client’s response reinforced the
impact of the partnership.
Client Feedback
Lauren O'Brien, Senior Manager, Communications, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, shared:
“Thank you for a wonderful Scholars Banquet! Your work with all of the many graphics, the sponsor reel, and recognition slides brought the whole event together. I was especially grateful for how willing you were to collaborate and how quickly and thoughtfully you incorporated feedback throughout. You made a sometimes confusing or chaotic process feel smooth, and it was clear how much care you put into getting the details right.
I really appreciated your partnership in celebrating this milestone event and all the effort you put into supporting our team along the way!”
Kyle Walcott, Director of Advancement, added:
“Thank you for all the teamwork and leadership with the sponsor reel! The visuals were so vibrant
and clean and were so representative of the look and feel we wanted to convey for our
40th anniversary banquet.
We appreciate all the responsiveness and understanding about the last-minute final edits that were needed too!”
Matthew Foust, Production Manager for the event, also shared:
“Thank you for the support and partnership on the 2026 Scholars event. It went swimmingly. Jane and the team loved all the videos and graphics and just the whole thing. We appreciate you and the team!”
Expanding the Partnership
During pre-production for the banquet, the AVmedia
team was also invited to support a special initiative for
the Foundation’s year-long 40th anniversary campaign.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation asked AVmedia to develop the organization’s official 40th Anniversary logo
and supporting email banner concepts that would be
used across communications and social media
throughout the year.
Our creative team developed 10 unique logo and banner concepts for review. The Foundation was thrilled with the final designs and has since implemented the artwork
across its social channels and communications platforms.
Additionally, the Foundation’s anniversary video
content has been shared publicly across
social media, extending the reach and visibility
of the campaign beyond the live event itself.
The Result
This project became a defining example of AVmedia’s ability to adapt under pressure, lead through uncertainty, and deliver high-level creative solutions with precision and care.
What began as a support role evolved into a full creative partnership — one that required strategic thinking, collaborative problem-solving, nationwide production coordination, and unwavering
attention to detail.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation 40th Anniversary Banquet was more than an event — it was a celebration of legacy, impact, and partnership, and AVmedia was proud to help bring that story to life.