To promote the excitement around Copa America 2011, OgilvyAction worked with Coca-Cola to set up a giant screen in downtown Buenos Aires for fans to watch their favorite teams and provide unconditional cheer to the Argentinean National Team. But there was a catch. Sound sensors were installed to keep the screen on and if the fans stopped cheering, the screen would go blank. 😎
Why this activation hits
The mechanic is brutally simple. Your cheering is not just encouraged. It is required. That instantly turns a passive viewing moment into a shared challenge, and it makes “support” tangible.
- Clear rule. Cheer to keep the screen alive.
- Immediate feedback loop. The crowd sees the consequence in real time.
- Social amplification built in. People around you become part of the control system.
What marketers can reuse from the idea
This is a strong example of “participation as the power source”. Instead of adding a gimmick on top of the match, the match itself becomes the reward for participation. It also turns a brand message into a behavior, which tends to travel further than a tagline.
A few fast answers before you act
What is the Coca-Cola “Cheer-O-Meter”?
It is a live fan-screen activation in Buenos Aires for Copa America 2011 where sound sensors kept the match on screen only while fans kept cheering.
How did the sound-sensor mechanic work?
The cheering volume acted as the trigger. If it dropped too low, the screen went blank, pushing the crowd to keep the energy up.
Why is this effective as a brand experience?
Because it converts brand participation into a simple, memorable rule with instant consequences, and it makes the crowd feel responsible for the outcome.
What is the transferable pattern?
Create one clear rule, attach it to a real reward, then deliver immediate feedback so the audience understands their impact in the moment.