We’ve seen it before, but here’s another reminder that nothing brings people together better than free stuff.

A tiny, single-serving Nescafe coffee maker was set up on a street corner in Germany by OgilvyOne Frankfurt. Anyone that approached it could get a free cup, but only if someone standing in front of a similar machine on the other side of the street did the same. A video screen showed the person at the other coffee maker, and both parties quickly figured out they had to co-operate with their new friend in order to get their java.

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This is something we’ve seen before, when Coca-Cola set up vending machines in Toronto and Montreal in order to bring together the most hated of rivals, Maple Leafs and Canadiens fans. But putting the coffee makers so much closer together in a busy city centre is, in many ways, a more effective way to find two complete strangers and give them a realistic opportunity to make a personal connection.

Credits:

Brand: Nescafe
Agency: OgilvyOne Frankfurt
Chief Creative Officer: Michael Kutschinski
Art Director: Garth Gericke, Klaus-Martin Michaelis
Junior Art Director: Yahao Wu
Copywriter: Hayley Chappell
Account Supervisor: Jonas Bailly
Account Director: Felix Rompis
Additional credits: Dropout Films