It’s the story of a very special Coke vending machine being placed on a college campus and spreading some “love” to a bunch of unsuspecting kids. And watching it brought a smile to my face and warm fuzzies to my brain. Funny, I think that might be just exactly what the folks at Coke intended with this viral video campaign. The back story – the video launched on January 12th and has already surpassed a million views as the result of being shared on various social media sites. Here’s a link to the video:
and here’s the link to Ravi Sawheny’s terrific story in FastCompany that described the campaign.
I’m one of those wacky advertising types who watches the Super Bowl every year less for the game that is played than for the ads that are featured and even I have to admit that this is one cool viral video campaign. And exponentially less expensive than the cost of producing and running a Super Bowl spot. Ad folks have long been charged with coming up with the latest, greatest super cool idea and that has mostly manifested itself in great creative – TV spots, traditional print campaigns, etc. I think that while that won’t necessarily change, over time, we’ll see more and more of this kind of ingenious creativity marking unique moments in time and then see the people who are the recipients of the message assuming a major role in spreading the message. And it’s just that kind of consumer-driven emotion that enables a brand to really connect with its customers.
Disclosure. I have Coke in my fridge. I’m a Coke girl. I know all the words to “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” I am old. And I like Coke.
What do you think? Do you agree that these viral kinds of campaigns – video or not, are the kinds of things best suited to capture the fleeting attention span of today’s consumers? I’m kind of thinking that I do. And would love to hear your thoughts.
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years’ experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging develoment, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly’s coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”