Coca Cola to dispatch 'happiness ambassadors'

Called ‘Expedition 206’, the year-long journey throughout 2010 aims to bring Coca-Cola’s Open Happiness campaign to life as the travellers visit with people from different cultures, document their experiences and share stories of happiness throughout their journey. 

 

“Coca-Cola, enjoyed by people in more than 200 countries, has always tried to express a positive view of the world,” said Shay Drohan, senior vice president of sparkling beverages, The Coca Cola Company. “Expedition 206 gives us an opportunity to celebrate that optimism and happiness on a global scale in a very personal way.  Sharing stories about what makes people happy is a unique way we are bringing our “Open Happiness” campaign to life.”   

 

Coca Cola has also taken the campaign online. Internet users around the world can choose the team they want to see on the expedition. Coca-Cola has selected nine finalists so far, but has given fans the opportunity to vote for the final candidates by visiting www.Expedition206.com through Nov. 6, 2009. Fans can vote once each day throughout the three-week voting period.

 

Beginning in Madrid on Jan. 1, 2010 and culminating with a celebration at the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta on Dec. 31, 2010, the journey of the happiness ambassadors will play out online with content for fans to follow via the expedition’s online headquarters at www.Expedition206.com, as well as on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and other social networking sites. 

 

“This mash-up of social media – online photo galleries, video clips, blogs, microblogs, social networking – combined with an amazing journey, enthusiastic travelers and a theme of happiness is a great way for us to connect with people around the world,” said Adam Brown, director, office of digital communications and social media, The Coca-Cola Company.  “The adoption of social media, especially by our target audience, has given us a way to deliver a year-long reality TV series without the TV.”