beverages

Coke's Latest Videos Feature 'Happiness Truck'

CocaCola

Since last January, when it staged its first "happiness" event for use as a viral video (no use as a TV spot) -- a goodies-dispensing "Happiness Machine" installed on a U.S. college campus -- Coca-Cola has been busily producing and video-ing a host of other "happiness moments" in countries around the world.

The results are evident on the brand's YouTube channel and particularly on its Facebook page, which features a "Where Will Happiness Strike Next?" (WWHSN) hub that provides a global locator feature for all approximately 25 videos to date -- each documenting a Coke-generated happiness event. The hub offers tools for easy sharing of or tweeting about the videos, and encourages fans to buzz about where the next happiness event should or may occur. (Coke's Facebook page currently has nearly 22.6 million fans, including ones generated through the WWHSN hub.)

advertisement

advertisement

In addition to the original blockbuster U.S. Happiness Machine effort -- which generated 645,000 views in its first week, and at 3 million-plus views, is still the reigning champion -- the videos show events staged in the U.K., Philippines, Japan, India, Hungary, Egypt, China and Brazil.

The events have included a "Transformer" character hiding under a Coke machine in a mall and "live" Coke machines running around on a beach and a busy city street (all in Hong Kong); a "Happiness Store" in which pulling a Coke from a cooler triggered confetti showers and transformed the convenience store into a multimedia disco (Brazil); a supermarket in which consumers' purchases were paid for by Coke during Ramadan (Egypt); recreations of the Happiness Machine scenario at colleges in several countries, and other delight-inducing scenarios.

The latest twist: a "Happiness Truck" -- a Coke delivery truck converted into a mobile vending machine that dispenses free Coke and other unexpected prizes, such as surfboards and inflatable toys.

Definition 6, the Atlanta-based interactive agency that created the U.S. Happiness Machine event/video (which won a 2010 Clio), as well as the recently posted Brazilian Happiness Store video, also created the Happiness Truck Brazil entry, filmed in the streets of Rio de Janeiro. A similar truck event was staged and filmed in the Philippines, by a regional agency. Both truck videos were posted on Feb. 22.

According to Coca-Cola's senior manager, marketing communications, Petro Kacur, the brand's marketing teams around the world were excited by the success of the U.S. Happiness Machine video and eager to adapt the viral video "happiness moment" concept within their own regions.

So ... will we soon be seeing a Happiness Truck, or another new happiness event, here in the U.S.? No firm answers from Coke at this point. Kacur says further videos in the U.S. (and elsewhere) are clearly possible, depending on their popularity levels. "Certainly, at this point, the videos do seem to be resonating with people," he notes.

Next story loading loading..