COCA COLA | HAPPY ID | 2014
Turning the Government into an Ad Channel: An Invention / COCA COLA "HAPPY ID"
Turning the photo on your ID card into an ad campaign. And then actually building it into a national system. This campaign, which won the Grand Prix in the Media category at the 2014 Cannes Lions, expanded what we even mean by "media."
The problem
Peru's economy was growing, but the country ranked lowest in the region for happiness. One symbol of that was the ID card photo: nobody was legally required to look unhappy, yet everyone posed with a blank expression. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola's connection with younger generations was weakening, and the brand needed a way to reconnect through its core idea of happiness.
The insight
Instead of just talking about happiness, could they turn it into an action that reached the whole country? They zeroed in on something every Peruvian has: an ID card. If they could get people to smile at one of the most basic moments of self-representation, this wouldn't just be an ad anymore—it would become a movement that made happiness part of the national identity.
The idea
Coca-Cola set up photo booths at 30 locations across the country, including right next to ID registration offices. There was no shutter button; the camera only took the photo the instant the person smiled. In other words, you couldn't get your picture taken unless you smiled. Everyone who got their photo taken received a free Coke and a "Happy ID" with added perks. In effect, a government institution itself became the media channel.
What happened
In the first month, 90% of the ID cards issued were "smile IDs." The campaign also spread widely on social media, and Coca-Cola's association with happiness rose compared to the previous year. It won the Grand Prix in the Media category at the 2014 Cannes Lions—Peru's first-ever Grand Prix.
Afterthought
This idea started out as a kind of afterthought tacked onto a pitch, then took three years to actually develop. At any point along the way—coordinating with the government, building the technology—it would have been easy to give up. But the simple act of capturing a smile became a national ID, became media, and became a result. It's a moment when advertising stepped outside the ad space entirely and became part of the fabric of society.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2014
