The Coca-Cola Company through its Sprite brand in Kenya, today, celebrated the winners of the Hook’d on Fresh UGC Challenge. The ceremony marked a nationwide youth culture campaign that turned Kenyan campusenergy, music, basketball, fashion, comedy and digital storytelling into a massive creator movement, garnering over 22 million views nationwide.
Launched as part of Sprite’s “It’s That Fresh” campaign, the initiative invited young Kenyans to share their fresh take on everyday heated moments through short form videos on TikTokand Instagram. What began as a brand campaign quickly became a youth led content movement, bringing together live campus experiences, creator masterclasses, NBA inspired basketball takeovers, digital rewards and Safaricom powered connectivity.
By the close of the campaign, over 1,300 young creators, from universities across the country, had registered and published campaign content. Together, they generated over 31 million views, 70,000 shares and 90,000 saves, with over 2.9 million engagements across TikTok and Instagram.
The campaign also recognized 146 winners, with KES 1.5 million in creator rewards and 600 GB in data bundles tracked for payout and fulfilment.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Juliana Kituma, Director, Frontline Marketing, Coca-Cola Kenya, said the campaign proved the power of building with young people, not just speaking to them.
“It’s That Fresh was created to meet young Kenyans where they live, play, create and express themselves. What we have seen throughout this campaign is the incredible confidence, humour, originality and cultural influence of Kenya’s next generation of creators. From campus activations to millions of views online, these creators did more than participate in a challenge, they shaped the campaign with their own voices. Sprite is proud to have created a platform that celebrates that freshness and turns everyday moments into culture.”
The campaign began with a Valentine’s Day takeover at the KICC COMESA Grounds, which brought together more than 5,000 young people for a celebration of music, style and youth culture. It then moved across campuses through creator led masterclasses, basketball experiences and immersive activations designed to equip young Kenyans with practical skills in content creation, storytelling, reach and engagement.
Through the partnership with Safaricom Hook, the campaign expanded into the Hook’d on Fresh Masterclass Series, a creator programme hosted by some of Kenya’s leading digital voices, including Carrie Wahu, Tileh Pacbro, Charisma, Ronoand Cluster KE. The masterclasses gave students practical knowledge on content creation, virality, digital monetisation and building an audience, while the Safaricom Hook Green Couch created space for authentic youth led conversations on ambition, creativity and opportunity.
“For Safaricom, this campaign has been about showing that connectivity is not just access to data; it is access to opportunity. Through Safaricom Hook and our partnership with Sprite, we have seen young Kenyans use their phones, their creativity and their communities to tell stories that travel far beyond campus. The success of Hook’d on Fresh shows what is possible when young people are given the tools, platforms and rewards to turn their talent into impact.” Said Susan Muthoka, Youth Segment Lead, Safaricom Plc
TikTok led overall campaign reach, delivering 19 million views, and 1,7 million engagements, while Instagram contributed 4 million views and 500,000 engagements. The campaign platform recorded 50,000 total impressions, reflecting strong interest from young creators and fans throughout the campaign period.
Among the standout creators was Evans Githinji, whose Sprite content generated more than 5.2 million video views, making him one of the top performing participants in the campaign.
“For me, Hook’d on Fresh was more than a challenge, it was a chance to show my creativity and see how far one idea could go,” said Evans Githinji, Hook’d on Fresh winner. “Being recognised by Sprite and Safaricom gives creators like me confidence to keep pushing, keep learning and keep creating. It shows that young people can turn everyday moments into something big when they have the right platform.”
The award ceremony marked the culmination of a campaign that connected refreshment with self-expression, rewarding creators for content that was fun, relatable, culturally sharp and easy for other young people to engage with.
As the campaign closes, Sprite and Safaricom say the impact of Hook’d on Fresh will live beyond the awards, through the creators who gained new audiences, the young people who learned new digital skills, and the online content that captured the freshness of Kenya’s youth culture.
“The numbers tell one part of the story, but the real success is in the confidence we saw from creators across the country,” added Kituma. “This campaign has shown that Kenya’s creator economy is vibrant, ambitious and ready for even bigger platforms.”
