COCA COLA | THE FRIENDSHIP MACHINE | 2011
Without a friend, you can't buy a Coke / COCA COLA "THE FRIENDSHIP MACHINE"
A 3.5-meter vending machine stands on a street corner. You want to put in a coin, but you can't reach the slot. You look up, and that's when it hits you: there's no way to buy from this thing alone.
The problem
The brief Ogilvy Argentina received was to find a way to celebrate Friendship Day. A simple congratulatory message wouldn't land. They needed something that would let people actually feel what it means to be with a friend.
The insight
A vending machine is normally something you can use all by yourself. But friendship doesn't work that way—it can't exist alone. So what if the machine itself couldn't be used alone? If you wanted a drink, you'd have no choice but to ask a stranger for help.
The idea
The machine stood 3.5 meters tall, with the coin slot way up near the top. Put in a coin, and out came two Cokes for the price of one—one for you, one for a friend. But to reach the slot, you had no choice but to get boosted up on someone's shoulders. People passing by laughed, worked it out together, and helped each other feed in the coin. That noisy little scene itself became Friendship Day.
What happened
The campaign spread from Argentina to other countries in Latin America. Sales rose 1075% compared to a normal vending machine, with 800 drinks sold per machine in nine hours. It won a Gold Outdoor Lion, a Gold Direct Lion, and a Silver Media Lion at Cannes.
Afterthought
Put an obstacle in the way, and a relationship forms. Make something inconvenient, and an experience is born. Because you can't finish the job alone, a friend has to be there. Incredibly simple, and incredibly powerful. Honestly, now I kind of want someone to give me a boost too.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2011
Featured in
- Alone, You Can't Reach ItAn ad that isn't finished until one more person shows up.
