Has Coca-Cola Brought Happiness to Japan?

Businesses are always trying new ways to promote their products and make more sales. Mega-company Coca-Cola is no different. Companies have to keep coming up with creative ways to pull consumers in to try their products. Many people got excited when in 2010 Coca-Cola was able to pull off an amazing viral marketing stunt. They installed a vending machine in the common room of St. John’s University in New York so that when students went to buy a beverage it gave out free flowers, pizza, and even six-foot subs. These machines are called “Coca-Cola Happiness Machines.” Who wouldn’t be happy to get a free six-foot long sub when all they thought they were getting was a coke?

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In a country where you see almost every type of vending machine, Japan has been waiting and wondering when they would finally get a “Coca-Cola Happiness Machine.” After all I don’t think they already have a machine that can deliver the same kind of happiness as Coca-Cola can. Well two years later after the St. John’s University stunt Coca-Cola Japan unveiled its brand new “Interactive Happiness Machine” this past week. It was on display at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport International Terminal 1.

This machine though does not seem to deliver the same kind of happiness as the one in the viral videos. No one has had a giant sub or sushi roll pop out of it yet.

According to Rocket News 24:

“The front of the machine is fitted with a 47-inch touch screen panel that displays an attractive young person beckoning customers by hand to come closer and quench their thirst, but automatically switches to the product display screen when a customer comes near. Users may check the details of a product or select their purchase by touching or swiping the screen. Further interactive content is currently in development.”

So while the Japanese don’t have the happiness machine they had hoped for yet, they will still hold out hope that the next version of the “Coca-Cola Happiness Machines” will give out free sushi rolls, udon, candy, or maybe a 6-foot sub to eat on their next flight.

Rocket News 24 also reports that:

“Coca Cola Japan also recently launched a promotion for all of its vending machines where customers have the chance of finding a “Happy Can” stocked with one of three semi-fabulous non-sandwich prizes along with their drink.”

So if you’re on a flight out of Tokyo this next year and someone near you seems extra happy, they may have just found a “Happy Can” from the Coke machine they passed on their way to catching their flight.