Coca-Cola [1] has been giving Chicagoans a reason to smile this summer with its street furniture campaign by dispensing cans of Coke activated by facial recognition.
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In partnership with JCDecaux North America [3], the Coke team masterfully combined digital screen technology with personal messaging to transform one-way advertising into a two-way dialogue between brand and consumer.
Each day, participants faced touchscreens in order to share a smile in return for an ice-cold, eight-ounce can of Coke. Instructions on the touchscreen guided users through the process, ensuring that, by smiling at the screen, facial recognition software registered the smile and in turn signaled the dispensing of a can. Digital screens then expressed Coke’s gratitude to participants for sharing a smile and allowing the brand to share a Coke.
The team hired Atomic Props [4]. Oakdale, Minnesota, to produce the can dispenser, and the digital content was successfully created by Grand Visual [5], London.
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Starting one hour before the event, the transit shelters displayed a countdown, increasing anticipation for the upcoming ‘happy hour’ to receive a free can of Coke.
During non-dispensing hours, Chicagoans could use the touchscreens to select their favorite among three Coke products (Coke, Diet Coke, or Coke Zero) and input the name they wanted to appear on the bottle to share a Coke. The consumer could then pose for selfies with their personalized bottles, and then send ‘Share a Coke’ emails to their loved ones.
The campaign will run for at least another two weeks, and during that time, the ‘happy hour’ will be increased to a full 8 a.m. to 7 p.m..