Apparently, single people in China are finding it hard to meet someone. But is soda the ice breaker they need?
In a new advertisement, Coke appeals to those in China looking for mates by placing a vending machine in Shanghai's "most romantic" park. The bottlecaps on the products in this machine are screwed on so tightly that unsuspecting women who use the machine have to ask a male passerby to open the bottle for them. And voilà! Romance!
Reactions to the ad have been mixed. On a Design Taxi post about the campaign, Facebook user Ari Sutton commented "This is such a cute idea. Kudos to the marketing company that came up with this one." A YouTube commenter named JiS01 was less impressed: "This is the most ridiculous marketing vid I have ever seen."
Jezebel's Kristine Gutierrez took issue with the add for two reasons: "I'm not sure if I'm annoyed that Coca-Cola assumes that a woman's hands are weak, or that she needs a man for such a basic chore." And Jezebel commenter phella joked that the campaign would have been more effective if the bottles were impossible to open by men as well as women. She wrote:
If someone opened my soda for me, I'd say thanks and walk away forever. If someone struggled with me, by my side, as we tried to pierce the impenetrable armor of that sweet brown nectar, I would consider asking that person out. For our first date, we could burn down the Coca Cola factory.
We've got to say, though, that this is a better sales tactic than the "Slender Vender."
What do you think of the "Icebreaker" ad? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @HuffPostWomen!
[h/t Jezebel]