After the 24 cupcake dispenser in LA, and the Mr Kipling vending machine over here, the trend for generous machines that dispense free goodies shows no sign of abating. Now, the people of Singapore have been granted a magical machine of their own – that dispenses free Coca Cola if you give it a hug.

The pop up Coca-Cola Hug Machines, emblazoned with ‘Hug Me’ were an instant success on social media in Singapore, with people snapping themselves hugging the machine and being rewarded with a free can of Coke. Leonardo O’Grady, ASEAN IMC Director at The Coca-Cola Company noted that the “reaction was amazing - at one point we had four to five people hugging the machine at the same time as well as each other! In fact, there was a long line of people looking to give hugs”

Whilst we enjoy the warm, fuzzy message of encouraging hugs in public, the ‘The Cola-Cola Hug Machine’ is also a cunning marketing ploy from ad firm Ogilvy & Mather. The machines, are part of Coca Cola’s global ‘Spread Happiness’ campaign, which encourages consumers to “bring positivity, optimism and fun into their lives” and to “open a Coke and share a little happiness”.

Here's a video posted to Youtube of the machines in action.

The hug machines have been such a huge success, there are now plans to roll it out across Asia – no word as yet as to whether the UK will get a free coke dispenser of their own. With many members of Stylist HQ suffering from a severe Diet Coke addiction, you might have to prise those machines from our Kung Fu grip…

Words: Lauren Smith