Coke Bottle Ideation
Used For 💡
Unlocking creative thinking
Loosening self-censorship and fear of judgment
Reducing perfectionism and overthinking
Building psychological safety through play
Practicing spontaneity and idea flow
Preparing groups for ideation, prototyping, or divergent thinking
Group Size 👫
Groups of 3-9 participants
Total Time ⏳
5–7 minutes
What This Is 🤔
The Coca-Cola Bottle exercise is a fast-paced creativity practice that challenges participants to repeatedly reinterpret a familiar object in unconventional ways.
By removing thinking time and forbidding passing, the exercise exposes how strongly we default to “correct” answers — and how quickly creativity expands once those constraints are lifted. What begins as hesitation often turns into play, laughter, and surprising originality.
This is not about cleverness. It’s about staying available — saying something imperfect rather than waiting for something smart.
How It Works 🔩
1. Form the Circle
Participants stand in a circle, all facing inward.
2. Introduce the Object
One participant holds up a pen or pencil and declares clearly: “This is an old-school, empty glass Coca-Cola bottle.”
3. Reimagine Immediately
That participant instantly names a new use for the bottle and briefly embodies it with sound or movement.
Example: “This is a flute,” followed by flute sounds.
They immediately pass the “bottle” to the person on their right.
4. No Passing, No Pausing
Each participant must:
Name a different use
Act it out briefly
Pass it on immediately
There is no passing, no thinking time, and no commentary.
5. Keep the Flow Going
Continue for 5 minutes, allowing the bottle to circulate multiple times.
Absurd, poetic, childish, or rated-R ideas are all welcome. The aim is momentum, not quality control.
What You’re Practicing 🎯
Divergent thinking
Tolerance for imperfection
Letting go of self-judgment
Spontaneous expression
Creative risk-taking in front of others
Psychological safety through shared vulnerability
Why It Works 🏗️
Most people unconsciously censor themselves before speaking — especially in professional settings. This exercise removes the conditions that enable overthinking: time, evaluation, and comparison.
Once participants realize they must speak — and that nothing bad happens when ideas are imperfect — creativity accelerates. Laughter and play signal safety, which in turn unlocks participation and idea flow.
The exercise also mirrors real innovation environments, where progress depends less on brilliance and more on willingness to speak early and often.
What the Research Says 🔬
The exercise directly targets functional fixedness, a cognitive bias identified by legendary psychologist Karl Duncker, which describes our tendency to see objects only in terms of their conventional, socially-constructed use.
Functional fixedness limits problem-solving by narrowing perception. By forcing rapid reinterpretation under social conditions, this exercise disrupts habitual thinking and promotes cognitive flexibility — a key ingredient in creativity and innovation.
Cultural Reference 🎬
You can optionally introduce the exercise with a short clip from The Gods Must Be Crazy, where a discarded Coca-Cola bottle radically alters an isolated community.
It’s a memorable way to highlight that meaning and function are socially constructed, not inherent.
Pro Tips 🥠
Move fast — speed prevents self-editing
Model silliness early as a facilitator
Normalize awkwardness; it passes quickly
Stand close to maintain energy
Stop the exercise while energy is still rising
Common Pitfalls ⚠️
Allowing participants to pause or explain
Letting people comment on others’ ideas
Over-framing the exercise beforehand
Stopping too late, once energy drops
Trying to “debrief creativity” too heavily
Optional Debrief 💬
What changed for you after the first round?
When did ideas start flowing more easily?
Where do you notice similar self-censorship at work?
What helps you speak before ideas feel finished?
The Takeaway 🥡
Creativity doesn’t disappear in adults — it gets filtered.
By removing time, judgment, and correctness, this exercise reminds groups that creativity is less about intelligence and more about permission. When people feel safe enough to be imperfect, ideas follow.