We probably all know someone who could benefit with a little restriction on their social media activity (if not ourselves...). Well aware of this, Coca-Cola have released a spoof video advertising their new "Social Media Guard" - a dog-style plastic cone collar that aims to stop you checking for updates every 5 minutes.
Are Coca-Cola onto a winner with this video? I have no doubt it will be successful. The 'fake ad' format tends to go down pretty well with consumers, and in this case using a comedic product to serve a gentle reminder to put down your smartphone and get more from life seems to work.
My main concern is that it may be too far a stretch for the brand. Coca-Cola is built upon the values of "sharing happiness" - and in the world we live in, there is almost now an intrinsic link between sharing and social media. As some witty YouTube commenters have already pointed out, it's actually a bit ironic that Coca-Cola has launched this video via YouTube. And of course, it will undoubtedly be shared across all the social networks.
Perhaps then, this is why the need for the ad in the first place. Coca Cola reminding people to live in the real world and appreciate human-to-human moments - sharing happiness in real life, not online. Interestingly (or could it be sheer coincidence?) Coca-Cola hadn't posted on their Twitter page for 4 days when the video was released... perhaps they really are trying to practice what they preach after all.
The Social Media Guard takes the "social" out of media and puts it back into your life.
