The iconic red brand that has been associated with happiness for over 126 years, Coca-Cola is airing today a new amateur advert directed by a young contestant of MOFILM, 23-year-old New Zealander Hugh Mitton along with the producer Lee Kupferman (26). The spot ‘Happiness in the Air’ will be premiered during today’s American Idol show as well as on Coke’s social media sites and Coke TV in Latin America.

Video: ‘Happiness in the Air’, Coca-Cola’s new ad for Valentine’s Day 2013

A romantic advert, which was shot back in summer 2012 in response to a brief created by Coca-Cola for MOFILM’s 2012 Cannes video contest, features young couples in love who watch the cans of Coke tied to red balloons fill the skies above Wellington.

A good fit for Valentine’s Day, this short spot encapsulates the message of love and happiness and clearly articulates the brand’s values, moreover, it gives a young director a chance to display his talent to millions of people.

Hugh Mitton commented, “It’s huge. One of those things as a fledgling artist you hope for but never expect. When I created the film I never dreamt it would be seen by millions of people. It’s crazy rewarding”.

“Happiness in the Air” is the first crowdsourced content to get such a big stage as American Idol, Jonathan Mildenhall, Coke’s VP of global advertising strategy and content excellence admits.

New advert follows ‘Love Machine’, a last year’s viral film from Coca-Cola Turkey.  It was created specially for Valentine’s Day and featured a vending machine in a busy Istanbul shopping mall, customized with a hidden camera, that dispensed free Coca-Cola to couples who proved how much they loved each other.

Video: ‘Love Machine’, Coca-Cola’s ad for Valentine’s Day 2012