• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer, February 16, 2009

Last year, Coca-Cola tapped Canadian agency Taxi 2 to create a campaign to generate buzz for its Fanta soft drinks. Fanta is a well-known beverage in Europe, but remains relatively unknown in Canada.

Taxi 2 riffed off Fantas's brand positioning "Play Starts Now" to produce an interactive experience: Fanta-branded "Play Puddles" ads were affixed to mall floors across the country. From a distance, they look like an eye-grabbing piece of creative that draws your attention.

Playtime begins once a shopper steps on a puddle. Each colorful image, representing a droplet of soda, makes a different sound. Young and old shoppers alike interacted with puddles that made ouch or bouncing sounds. And like "Candid Camera," the agency wisely caught the impromptu action on tape. Click here to see a montage of clips.

The campaign isn't intrusive; it's inviting. Yet its very simplicity is enough to throw shoppers off-guard, possibly bringing a smile to their faces. Better yet -- send them to the nearest vending machine.