Coca-Cola has entered Second Life by taking an approach other than buying an island, building an edifice, and hoping residents will stop by for a visit. Working with crayon (yes, I’m part of the team, along with several other crayonistas led by C.C. Chapman), Coca-Cola opted to break into the 3D metaverse by getting out amongst the population.

The effort is a competition, labeled “Virtual Thirst.” The idea is for residents (and, in fact, anybody else) to design a Coca-Cola vending machine that dispenses an experience rather than a can or bottle of Coke. Three prototypes were constructed by resident builders and put on display as part of a launch event held twice yesterday (April 16) in order to accommodate different time zones. The image below features C.C. in the middle and two Coca-Cola marketing execs flanking him.) Bloggers, in-world media, and mainstream media were invited to attend the event, which was held on crayonville island. The crayon venue is host to the Virtual Thirst pavilion, which will be open during the run of the contest, which wraps up on May 25. crayon recruited an advisory panel of Second Life residents to make sure the effort was in synch with the metaverse’s culture. And Coca-Cola will not “deploy” the winning machine when it is finally built; it will simply be made available at not cost to residents who want one.

During the second launch event, one blogger in attendance told me that the event was like a class in “How to do social media right.”

Other dimensions of the social media aspects of the competition include a range of ways to submit entries such as YouTube videos and postings to MySpace profiles; development of a MySpace profile, and uploading a video of prototypes to YouTube, and development of a social media press release. The grand prize is a trip to San Francisco where the winner will witness Millions of Us, one of the premier builders of Second Life structures and objects, turn the design into a Second Life reality. While a comment to one blog post criticized the prize, it came from the advisory panel, which believes the real prize is the in-world cred that accrues to the winner, and thus having a hand in the build makes sense. (Besides, as a resident of the spectacular Bay Area, I have to point out that San Francisco is a hell of a destination!)

Most of the coverage so far has been very positive, although Christopher Penn offered some critical insights, mostly suggesting that his view of the Coca-Cola brand isn’t aligned with Coke’s:

The essence of Coca-Cola to the company is ???refreshment, joy, unity, experience???. For me, as a consumer of its products, Coke products fit the first to a greater or lesser degree, and the other three don???t apply. Coke???s brand to me is essentially a source of cold caffeine, as is Pepsi, and virtually any other soda manufacturer out there. It???s what I drink (usually diet) when coffee does not fit the bill. If you were to sit me down in a focus group and ask me what the brand makes me feel, it makes me feel somewhat energized (or at least less lethargic, as I usually have it after lunch), carbonated, occasionally burpy, and less thirsty. I don???t have a particularly strong attachment to the Coke brand, even though I really enjoy reading about the company???s history and its original recipe.

Brand, of course, is pretty much defined as the way a consumer reacts to a trademark. According to Wikipedia, a brand is “the symbolic embodiment of all the information connected with a product or service…(it) encompasses the set of expectations associated with a product or service which typically arise in the minds of people.” That’s a pretty good definition, consistent with Chris’s view. Of course, there’s nothing stopping Chris from designing a vending machine that dispenses his perception of the brand. And since the in-world residents who make up the panel will judge the entries, who knows what might win?

Other crayon coverage of the Virtual Thirst launch:

Neville Hobson
Steve Coulson