"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."

- Anne Frank

In a college campus cafeteria sits what appears to be your every-day, run-of-the-mill branded beverage vending machine. A student approaches the machine, puts in her money and then, the unexpected happens. Not one, not two, not three or even four, but a constant stream of bottles full of fizzy fun are dispensed.

Another student enjoys the same scenario and, as before, begins spreading the love amongst the students nearby who have taken notice of this machine’s unlikely behavior.

Later, the machine lights up and plays music as if to suggest a spontaneous dance party while continuing to provide what seems like an endless supply of one of the world’s favorite soft drinks. Of course, it doesn’t stop there. This is a college campus. So, the machine begins to bring forth edible items like a large pepperoni pizza and a six-foot party sub. Which is shared by all students present at the time.

The machine is full of surprises. Not-so-surprising is the brand behind the tactic—one that has made recent strides in taking ownership of a particular position in the minds of soft drink consumers.

Not so long ago, “Open happiness” became the conceptual springboard for brand communications for mega-brand Coca-Cola. Television ads have emerged from this “creative strategy” that depict what happens inside a Coke machine from the time money is inserted until the beverage comes out. The ads bring the viewer into a fantasy world filled with imaginary creatures whose lives center around filling every bottle of the brown bubbly beverage with as much happiness as can be infused into 12 ounces.

The YouTube video, Coca-Cola “Happiness Machine” (described above), has garnered well over 1.1 Million million views since it was posted two weeks ago. And while it answers to the creative strategy, its understated production and the raw reactions on the faces of the students witnessing the surprises fortify the brand position for a fraction of the investment of the full scale productions. Which is to say that tactics like these aren’t reserved for mega-brands. They are just as accessible to brands with budgets in the low six figure range.

Happiness is great advertising that doesn’t break the bank, coupled with media done well. And the “Happiness Machine” video is a perfect example of how to leverage one of the most popular social media channels. Which, which involves little more than a modest investment in making a few people very, very happy. And then making sure that other’s can see what you’ve done.

 

Email a Friend redpepperLand

To:

From:

Note:

Close

  3 comments

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...