At Antwerp Central station, Coke Zero challenged unsuspecting train passengers to unlock the 007 in them and get a chance to win exclusive tickets for the new James Bond movie SKYFALL. However, the tickets weren’t free. People had to go the extra mile and unlock their inner 007 in less than 70 seconds to win. 😎
Coca-Cola to promote its FM app in Brazil allowed readers of the Capricho magazine to simply roll up the magazine and transform it into a portable amplifier for their iPhones. All the readers had to do was insert the iPhone into the spot indicated and tune into the Coca-Cola FM application. 😎
The idea turns print into a functional accessory. No electronics. No QR-code dependency. Just smart physical design that rewards curiosity and makes the app the natural next step.
This is a strong reminder that “mobile activation” does not always need a screen-first mechanic. When you can create a physical trigger that is obvious and satisfying, you reduce friction and increase shareability. People demonstrate it to others because it is surprising, and because it works.
It is a Capricho magazine execution in Brazil designed to be rolled into a tube that passively amplifies iPhone audio, used to promote the Coca-Cola FM app.
The rolled shape acts like a simple acoustic horn, directing and concentrating the phone’s speaker output so it sounds louder.
The app is not advertised as a feature list. It is experienced. The physical utility creates a reason to open the app immediately.
Turn media into a usable object, then connect that object to a single, obvious mobile behavior that completes the experience.
For teens, happiness often means one thing: staying connected.
Coca-Cola in Brazil acted on this insight by creating a beachfront store on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro and installing a soda machine that delivered something more valuable than a drink.
Instead of only dispensing Coca-Cola, the machine rewarded users with free mobile internet credits. For young, emerging middle-class consumers who loved their mobile phones but could not afford generous data plans, the exchange was instantly clear and immediately useful.
The interaction was deliberately simple. Users accessed the machine through an exclusive Coca-Cola mobile browser. Completing the interaction unlocked internet credits directly on their phones.
No long registration. No delayed reward. Just a physical interface connected to a digital payoff.
The machine functioned as a bridge between the physical and mobile worlds, using hardware as a trigger and mobile connectivity as the reward.
On a public beach, attention is fleeting. People move quickly, and distractions are constant.
Free data solved a real, present problem. Connectivity was scarce, valuable, and socially visible. Watching someone gain internet access in front of you created instant social proof.
The machine became a gathering point. Not because it was novel technology, but because the value exchange was obvious and human.
Coca-Cola’s intent was not short-term sampling.
The goal was to make the brand’s long-standing “happiness” positioning tangible for a mobile-first audience by attaching it to everyday utility. Instead of asking teens to emotionally connect with a message, Coca-Cola embedded itself into a moment of real need.
This activation reframed the brand from advertiser to enabler.
This machine also fits into a broader Coca-Cola pattern. It joins the growing number of Happiness Machines the brand has deployed globally since 2009.
That for teens, happiness is often defined by connectivity. Free data mattered more than another free product.
A simple physical interaction with an immediate digital reward. No delay, no complexity.
The beach favors fast, visible experiences. The activation turned utility into a social moment.
To reinforce Coca-Cola’s happiness positioning by delivering real-world value aligned with mobile behavior.
When you make your brand genuinely useful in the moment, people do the distribution for you.
