As part of its global “Open Happiness” campaign, Coca-Cola has set up a vending machine at the National University of Singapore that doesn’t take coins or any other cash…only hugs! For every public display of machine love, the Coca-Cola “Hug Me” machine gifts the person a free can of Coca-Cola…
The machine is one of a number of “Happiness Machines” Coca-Cola has deployed around the world since 2009.
You walk up to a Coke machine that is about 12 feet tall. You cannot reach it alone. You ask a buddy for a boost. When you finally press the button, the machine rewards the teamwork by dispensing two Cokes instead of one.
The game of vending machine one-upsmanship between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo continues with Coke’s “Friendship Machine”. To celebrate International Friendship Day, Coca-Cola in Argentina plants machines that appear to be about 12 feet tall and require that you ask a buddy for a boost to use it. As a reward, the Coke machine dispenses two Cokes instead of one.
The idea builds on Coke’s “Happiness Machine” viral video, where a machine keeps surprising students with free extras like soda and pizza. Coke also updates that generosity pattern with a “Happiness Truck” video, where a truck gives out Cokes alongside summer gear like surfboards, beach toys, and sunglasses.
PepsiCo responds with its own “Social Vending Machine” that lets you gift free Pepsi’s to friends and strangers via a text message.
It is a Coke machine designed to be too tall to use alone, so you need a friend’s help. When you do it together, it dispenses two Cokes as the reward.
Because the friction creates the point. It forces a social interaction first, then makes the reward feel earned and shared, not just handed out.
They establish the “unexpected generosity” pattern. The Friendship Machine applies the same idea, but makes cooperation the trigger instead of surprise alone.
Coca-Cola, whose Happiness Machine video was described as a runaway hit for the brand last year with 3 million views, is back with a sequel that offers more of an international flavor.
“Happiness Truck” takes place in Rio de Janeiro and is a twist on the original idea, which showed a Coke machine that spit out free Cokes, flowers, balloon animals, pizza and submarine sandwich at a college cafeteria. This time around, a special truck dispenses free Cokes as well as a beach toy, a surfboard, sunglasses, beach chairs, t-shirts and soccer balls.
The idea is almost embarrassingly simple. Put a big, inviting “PUSH” button on a branded truck. Let passersby trigger it. Then over-deliver on what comes out. Drinks first, then gifts that match the location and mood.
The Coca-Cola Happiness Truck is an experiential marketing activation where a branded truck dispenses free drinks and beach items to people who press a large button, turning a giveaway into a shared street moment.
In global FMCG marketing, these activations work best when the surprise is immediate, the moment is public, and the brand behavior feels generous rather than promotional.
People do not need to be convinced by copy. They watch someone press a button and receive something real. The crowd reaction provides social proof, and the escalating gifts create a mini narrative that keeps people watching.
The Rio-specific items. surfboards, beach chairs, sunglasses. make the generosity feel locally tuned, not copy-pasted from the first film.
This is a sequel strategy that scales a successful format while refreshing the setting. It keeps the core concept intact. surprise rewards from a familiar Coca-Cola object. and broadens it into a global “where will happiness strike next” platform.
It also turns brand warmth into a repeatable content engine. Each location can add its own culturally legible gifts, which gives the series room to travel without changing the structure.
It is a street activation in Rio de Janeiro where a branded truck dispenses free Coca-Cola and beach-themed gifts to passersby who press a large button, extending the earlier Happiness Machine concept.
The original centered on a vending machine in a cafeteria. Happiness Truck moved the same “surprise generosity” mechanic into the street and tailored the rewards to a Rio beach context.
It removes friction and creates instant social proof. One simple action triggers a visible reward, so the story is easy to understand, watch, and retell.
