At first glance, the coffee machine looks pretty normal. On close inspection, it’s missing something important. There’s no place to insert money, as the only currency it accepts is yawns!
Facial-recognition software built into the machine looks for people standing in front of it. It maps their faces and waits for the telltale signs of a yawn. A yawn triggers a hot cup of coffee.
The coffee company chosed the airport as a prime place full of weary passengers and plenty of yawning. Over the course of the marketing stunt, the machine reacted to 210 yawns.
Viral Impact & Legacy:
Social Proof: Social Media posts from 2013 hyped it as innovative, with users sharing the video and calling it a “Monday morning savior.” By 2020, it resurfaced in threads on quirky vending machines, alongside Coke’s karaoke dispensers.
Reception: The stunt generated massive buzz—videos of confused yawns turning to grins racked up millions of views on YouTube. Media outlets praised it as “empathetic marketing,” with Adweek calling it an “exceedingly empathetic” twist on vending norms. It won accolades, landing in South Africa’s Ad of the Year Top 5.