Coca-Cola Launches Competition to Design Online
“Virtual Thirst” Coke Machine
Open Competition Invites Second Life® Residents and the Public to Imagine a Virtual Vending Machine with Limitless Possibilities
April 16, 2007
News Facts
- Coca-Cola is launching an open contest for Second Life residents and the general population to design a virtual experience machine through its “Virtual Thirst” competition.
- This contest is not a search for the virtual version of a real-life vending machine that distributes bottles and cans, but the mission to create a portable device for Second Life’s “in-world” digital society that unleashes a refreshing and attention-grabbing experience, on demand.
- Consumers can enter the Virtual Thirst vending machine competition, even if they are not currently a resident of the virtual world Second Life. Design contest rules are posted on the web microsite www.virtualthirst.com.
- To give consumers a feel for the contest’s broad design latitude, Coca-Cola also has posted videos of three working prototype Virtual Thirst vending machines – designed by actual in-world builders from Second Life – on the microsite. In addition, Company officials are demonstrating the concept during Virtual Thirst launch events conducted in-world today for residents and reporters visiting Second Life (secondlife.com).
- Working with new-marketing firm crayon, Coca-Cola assembled a virtual advisory board – anchored by Second Life residents and designers – to collect critical feedback on the competition concept and establish the design guidelines.
- Design entries will be accepted through a variety of formats and submission methods, including submissions within Second Life, YouTube and MySpace. Submission guidelines for each of these web platforms and contest rules are posted on MySpace at www.myspace.com/virtualthirst, as well as on “crayonville Island” in Second Life.
- The entry deadline is May 25, 2007.
- The advisory council will select the grand prize winner who will travel, courtesy of Coca-Cola, to San Francisco to collaborate with Millions of Us (www.millionsofus.com), the expert 3-D builders, who will turn the winner’s concept into Second Life reality.
- The virtual machine subsequently will be introduced during an in-world unveiling party and, from there, made available to any Second Life resident who would like one.
- The Virtual Thirst contest is The Coca-Cola Company’s first experiment within the fast-growing community of Second Life.
Quotes
Attributed to Michael Donnelly, Director, Global Interactive Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company:
- Put simply, we’ve invited the world to use the Second Life platform to design and prototype the ultimate Coke machine – something that delivers an innovative, engaging experience in Second Life, as defined by its community of residents.
- For example, it could play music from a jukebox, or display fun animation and video, or transform the user’s experience and capabilities in some positive way. There are few restrictions, except that the more inspired and original the idea, the better.
- This competition is a chance for anyone with a vivid imagination to design an experience that embodies the in-world Coke Side of Life in a way that enhances their lives and the lives of others within Second Life.
- The prototypes are merely thought-starters that set the optimistic tone of the Coke Side of Life and the virtually limitless possibilities of such a machine.
- We have been careful to seek the opinion of the Second Life community before bringing it a new experience. Our approach has been to create a program that enhances this exciting virtual environment. We plan to continue conversing with residents throughout this process.
- Our goal is to enable individual creativity in pursuit of a ‘vending’ machine that can exist only in your wildest imagination. Virtual worlds make it possible for such innovations to occur, and we selected Second Life as the most conducive to this experiment.
Please contact Petro Kacur (petkacur@na.ko.com), The Coca-Cola Company, to arrange an interview and/or for additional quotes.
Attributed to Joseph Jaffe, President and Chief Interrupter, crayon:
- By collaborating with the community, Coca-Cola has a unique opportunity to join the conversation, while at the same time learn from the experience.
Please contact Shel Holtz (shel@crayonville.com), crayon, to arrange an interview and/or for additional quotes.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world’s top five nonalcoholic sparkling brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate exceeding 1.4 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About the Coke Side of Life
“The Coke Side of Life,” the global marketing platform for brand Coca-Cola, is based on the simple idea that drinking a Coke tastes good and makes people happy. The theme is an invitation to live on the positive side of life. For more information, visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/presskit_CSOL.html
About crayon
Founded by Joseph Jaffe, author of Life After the 30-Second Spot (Wiley), crayon is a different kind of company that specializes in New Marketing for a New Consumer. It integrates the best of the consulting, agency, advisory, thought leadership and education worlds – a mash-up, in new marketing terms. crayon focuses on helping its clients identify, evaluate, implement, integrate and measure a bold mix of alternatives to traditional marketing, advertising and public relations into their existing plans and programs. For more information, please visit www.crayonville.com.
Contact Info
The Coca-Cola Company:
Petro Kacur
The Coca-Cola Company
Phone: +1 404-676-3127
Email: petkacur@na.ko.com
Website: www.thecoca-colacompany.com
crayon:
Shel Holtz
crayon
Phone: +1 415 367 3120
Phone (mobile): +1 925 864 2249
Email: shel@crayonville.com
Website: www.crayonville.com
