Coca-Cola: Small World Machines

'What unites us is stronger than what sets us apart

Coca – Cola seems to do some of the most creative advertising campaigns ever seen. What makes it even more rewarding is that it’s all about spreading happiness. Coca – Cola wanted to do something that would bring to life the brand’s beliefs in a real and tangible way.

In 2013, Coca – Cola made a campaign called “Small World Machines”, which provided live communications portal between people in India and Pakistan and showed that what unites us is strong than what sets us apart. The aim of this campaign was to engage people with each other through the machines by performing simple tasks, like touching hands, drawing peace, love and happiness symbols – together.

Coca – Cola partnered with Leo Burnett to produce this inspiring film and campaign. They set up two vending machines in two popular shopping malls in Lahore, Pakistan and New Delhi, India – two cities separated by only 325 miles, but seemingly worlds apart due to decades of political tension.

The campaign was meant to help bring together two strangers to share a moment and break the borders. Coke and Leo Burnett used first – of – its – kind 3D touchscreen technology to capture a live emotional exchange. The technology resembled the act of looking into a full – length webcam, face to face with another person. At the same time, people were encouraged to interact with the touchscreen animation. The campaign used emotions as the base of storytelling, creates meaningful role for products to play in every piece of IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications).

10,000 people attended the live event and created 700 connections across the borders. The campaign reached more than 18 million Facebook and Twitter users. The video accomplished nearly 3 million Youtube views and counting. The campaign received 4,860 unique mentions on online outlets such as websites, TV broadcasts, blogs and forums. This helped increase Coca – Cola’s brand awareness and enhance Coca – Cola brand equity in the view of the public respective countries.

“The people of Pakistan and India share a lot of common passions and interests – from food and Bollywood movies, to Coke Studio music, to cricket,” said Saad Pall, Assistant Brand Manager for Coca-Cola in Pakistan. “What this project did was connect people who are not exposed to each other on a daily basis, enabling the common man in Lahore to see and interact with the common man in Delhi. It’s a small step we hope will signal what’s possible.”

Aldridge, G. (2013, June 07). THE BIG STORY BEHIND COKE’S SMALL WORLD MACHINES [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.coca-colacompany.com/coca-cola-unbottled/the-big-story-behind-cokes-small-world-machines/. 

'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts_4vOUDImE