Filmmaking contest community, MOFILM, has announced that Coca-Cola will be premiering an advertisement during American Idol that was created by one of its filmmakers, 23 year-old New Zealand director Hugh Mitton and producer Lee Kupferman. “Happiness in the Air” will also feature on Coke’s social media sites as well as Coke TV in Latin America.
“We were immediately excited when we saw Hugh’s film in June last year and started to think then that it would be a great spot for Valentine’s Day 2013,” said Jonathon Mildenhall, VP global advertising strategy and content excellence, Coca-Cola. “We’re delighted to be giving such a young creative a great platform to display his talent”
Mitton was only 22 when he directed ‘Happiness in the Air,’ in response to a brief created by Coca-Cola for MOFILM’s 2012 Cannes video contest. The brief asked filmmakers from around the world to create and submit ads that celebrated moments of happiness. Filmmakers could use pre-existing holidays such as Christmas or create their own. Mitton selected Valentine’s Day and his film shows the reactions of passers-by as cans of Coca-Cola tied to red helium-filled balloons fill the skies above Wellington and then come to land.
“It’s huge,” Mitton commented. “One of those things as a fledgling artist you hope for but never expect. When I created the film I never dreamed it would be seen by millions of people. It’s crazy rewarding”
