• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, January 28, 2010

Coca-Cola is giving its Facebook fans an advance look at its twin Super Bowl commercials, and also using the social media platform to put its "Open Happiness" theme into action by enabling users to trigger charitable donations and pass "virtual gifts" on to friends.

Starting now, each virtual Coca-Cola gift and commercial sneak-peek triggers a $1 donation by Coca-Cola to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Gift recipients receive a special Coke bottle image that is displayed on their Facebook page and newsfeed to feed the viral gift-giving dynamic.

Those who send virtual gifts in the days leading up to the game are getting a 20-second sneak preview of one of the two Coke Super Bowl ads. On game day, they will receive the full versions of both ads prior to the game's evening kick-off. After the game, all gift-givers will receive the full versions of both spots. The videos also will be available on file-sharing sites, including YouTube and Hulu.

The new commercials, created by Wieden + Kennedy (Portland, Ore.), convey the "Open Happiness" campaign's message of sharing a Coke as one of life's "little pleasures." One ("Sleepwalker") shows a man sleepwalking across an African plain, subconsciously driven on a quest for a Coke. The other ("Hard Times") features the greedy Mr. Burns character from "The Simpsons" falling on hard times and having a Scrooge-like epiphany as he watches other characters enjoy Coke in a neighborhood park.

During the game, Coke will also use two animated billboards to encourage viewers to visit LivePositively.com to learn how to help the brand benefit Boys & Girls Clubs and support the Red Cross's work in aiding Haitian earthquake victims.

The overall global "Open Happiness" campaign is showcasing the brand's "long-term commitment to supporting local communities." Recent print and digital advertising efforts have invited people to volunteer their time, donate money through LivePositively.com, or donate points to charitable organizations through My Coke Rewards. Television ads aired on "American Idol" and other top shows have focused on themes such as education and sustainability.

Another recent effort in the campaign -- Coke's first video created solely for viral distribution purposes (featuring college students' reactions to a "happiness machine" that dispenses free Coke and other goodies) -- pulled more than 645,000 views in the first week after its posting on YouTube on Jan. 12.