Coca-Cola and O&M Shanghai develop new art and digital campaign

Coca-Cola and O&M Shanghai Invite Complete Strangers to take part in a “Friendship Experiment”

New Photography Exhibit and Digital Campaign Celebrate the Inherent Warmth and Happy Spirit of Chinese

SHANGHAI — The Coca-Cola Company and Ogilvy & Mather China have joined hands to develop a new art and digital campaign that celebrates a unique approach to “happiness creation.”

O&M teamed up with Chinese photographer Kurt Tang, who returned to China after years of living abroad to find a dispiriting sense of isolation and loneliness that afflicts many Chinese living in the country’s major metropolises. Determined to do something about it, Tang walked through the streets of the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou and invited complete strangers to come together and share a moment of connection in front of his camera lens.

A young cyclist, a grandmother sitting in a park, diners seated at separate tables in a restaurant and many others all became part of the “Friendship Experiment,” in which these chance meetings and potential friendships were captured by Tang and developed into a photography series that exhibited at the Fei Gallery in Guangzhou. In addition to the photo exhibition, the photographs and “making-of” videos are being shared online through Coca-Cola’s “Happiness Network” digital channels and through Chinese social media, including Sina Weibo and Renren.

Richard Cotton, Director of Creative Excellence for Coca-Cola China, said, “Capturing on film that initial spark of potential friendship can be very powerful. At its core, the campaign is one photographer, one camera, a couple of Cokes, and people on the street coming together – a fun and meaningful experience that Coca-Cola wants to share as part of our celebration of ‘happiness creators’ in China.”

“Coca-Cola’s approach to happiness is unique in that it’s more than just a carbonated beverage, it’s a brand that is able to hit the emotions and aspirations of all Chinese as related to happiness,” said Graham Fink, Chief Creative Officer of O&M China. “So we created an equally unique and nontraditional campaign with a very organic grassroots feel that we hope will turn strangers into friends not only in Guangzhou, but all over the world.”

Debuted in Guangzhou, the “Friendship Experiment” is being shared online as of April 22. Subsequent “experiments” are under consideration for Shanghai, Beijing, and Singapore.
View the videos that tell the overall story:
http://www.youtube.com/FriendshipExperiment

View the online photo gallery:
http://friendshipexperiment.com/

Track the buzz on Sina Weibo through the following hashtag: #快乐实验#

CREDITS
Project title: Coca-Cola Friendship Experiment
Client: The Coca-Cola Company
Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai
Chief Creative Officer: Graham Fink
Executive Creative Director: Sean Sim, Francis Wee
Creative Director: Golf Nuntawat
Client Supervisor: Richard Cotton, Victor Vieira, Ming Alterman
Art Director: Jasphine Chew
Copywriter: Sean Sim
Photographer: Kurt Tang
Account Directors: Martin Murphy, Oli Goulden, Anita Beveridge
Public Relations: Fengmei Liang, Xiufan Huang, Qingxin Li, Lisha Deng, Yanyan Wu
Agency Producer: William Huen
Production House: Carrot Films
Director: William Dhawan
Producer: Steven Ng
Exposure: Print, Digital, Event



About Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. In 2012, O&M was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effies Global Effectiveness Index. The company is comprised of industry leading units in all of the following disciplines: advertising; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; shopper and retail marketing; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing; consulting, research and analytics capabilities; branded content and entertainment; and specialist communications. O&M services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 450 offices in 120 countries. It is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit www.ogilvy.com, or follow us on Twitter @OgilvyWW and on Facebook.com/Ogilvy.