Coca-Cola’s ‘Small World Machines’ bridge the Indo-Pak divide

Coca-Cola has released a film featuring an experiential campaign executed this March, which takes forward the brand’s ‘Open happiness’ proposition – across borders.

Wasim Basir, integrated marketing communications director, Coca-Cola India, said, “We wondered what would happen if people from these two countries came together, and the answer was clear: goodness and happiness.”

Specially created vending machines were installed at a shopping mall each in Lahore and New Delhi. People on either side were invited to ‘Make a friend in Pakistan’ (in New Delhi) and ‘Make a friend in India’, to share a Coca-Cola. The ‘Small World Machines’ provided a live communications portal linking people through a 3D touchscreen. They were requested to complete a friendly task together like - wave, touch hands, draw a peace sign or dance – before the machine dispensed a can of Coca-Cola. The film features people engaged in the activity and their reactions.

In a note published on the Coca-Cola website, Jackie Jantos Tulloch, global creative director and project lead, Coca-Cola, said, “Your actions are literally mirrored. By adding a touch screen, it allowed us to play interactive animations so people could trace things like a heart or smiley face together.”

On the challenges faced while executing the activity, Andy DiLallo, chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Sydney, added, “Logistically, we had to co-ordinate two offices inside the Leo Burnett network and another three offices inside the Coke network, as well as several key suppliers. We dealt with time differences, language barriers and cultural sensitivities. But we pulled it off, and that's what matters.”

“What this project did was connect people who are not exposed to each other on a daily basis, enabling the common man in Lahore to see and interact with the common man in Delhi. It’s a small step we hope will signal what’s possible,” added Saad Pall, assistant brand manager, Coca-Cola Pakistan.