How Coca-Cola is Spreading Happiness

• Jan 29th, 2010
• Posted by Kim
• Posted in Social Media News, YouTube

Remember the excitement you felt as a kid when a vending machine accidentally gave you two candy bars instead of one? Well, that’s the wonder and excitement (I mean, who didn’t love getting an extra candy bar as a kid, right?) Coca-Cola is hoping to bring into people’s lives with their new video “Happiness Machine.” And we think it’s working.

Two weeks ago, Coca-Cola released “Happiness Machine” as a sneak preview to fans and followers through their various social media channels. In case you haven’t seen it yet, the video shows how an overactive vending machine installed in a college cafeteria can bring lots of happiness. Everything from Coke bottles to flowers to a six-foot sub sandwich come pouring out of the machine, all to the great surprise of the students. And, of course, it’s all caught on film.

Here are three reasons why we think the video is successful:

It takes something ordinary and makes it extraordinary. It’s not about a flashy re-design, a buzz-worthy celebrity, or some other marketing gimmick. They took the simple act of getting a Coke out a vending machine, and turned it into an extraordinary event.

It shows people sharing. When bottle after bottle after bottle of Coke comes out of the machine, what else is left to do but share with the people around you? Same goes for the pizza and the six-foot sub. The scene was smartly framed by Coke to get the students experiencing the “Happiness Machine” conversing and sharing, and just like the college kids in the video, the viewer can join in on the fun too.

It lets fans spread the happiness. When the kids are sharing the pizza that just came out of the bottom of the vending machine with each other, you can log on and share the video with your friends and family on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter. It empowers the viewers at home to jump in and participate.

In the past, companies like Coca-Cola would keep their Super Bowl ads under wraps until the “world premiere” on game day. If it was strong enough, the ad might generate buzz for a few days before it becomes just another ad. Today, we’re seeing these same companies open up and encourage their customers to participate in the build-up through various social channels, as opposed to keeping these customers at a distance. Already, the video has been viewed more than 1.2 million times, and in the case of the “Happiness Machine” the momentum shows no signs of stopping. We can’t wait to see what happens when it airs to the football lovin’ public next Sunday.