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Coca-Cola Japan Intros Virtual Vending Prize Promo

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Like McDonald's, Coca-Cola looks to be pulling out the marketing stops in Japan.  

It has just launched an online campaign based on a virtual "Super Vending Machine" that uses mixi and Facebook apps, reports JapanTrends.com.

Now through Feb. 13, members of the region's Coca-Cola Park loyalty club can play games and receive daily lottery numbers that may translate to winning prizes, including free drinks, digital goods, a Toshiba television -- plus chances to be the winner of the big prize: ¥1 million (about $12,000) in cash.

The games feature 69 different Coca-Cola Park characters, such as a dancing panda, which Japan Trends predicts are likely to prove "addictive" to Japanese consumers.

Meanwhile, even as McDonald's puts increasing focus on introducing healthier options in the U.S., some U.S. McDonald's fans are posting laments about the QSR's limited-time introduction of four mega-burgers in Japan, expressing frustration that the items aren't available in this country.

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The "Big America 2" promotion in Japan offers four burgers themed on regions in the U.S. -- including a Texas 2 burger consisting of a quarter pound of beef, three buns, bacon, cheese and chili beans. The item contains 645 calories, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Suggesting, it would seem, that U.S. consumer polarization when it comes to QSR offerings -- meaning those who welcome healthier options versus those who eschew health concerns in favor of taste and product size -- isn't likely to change any time soon.

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