Coca-Cola continues to be enchanted by vending machines. Last year, we had Wieden + Kennedy’s lovely (if you don’t mind watching a few defenseless snowmen get slaughtered) “Happiness Factory” TV commercial, which imagined the grand farewell given to each vended Coke bottle. Now, with the help of Joe Jaffe’s agency, crayon, Coke has launched a contest, called Virtual Thirst, to design the perfect vending machine for Second Life. Rather than dispense Coke bottles, the company wants the machine to emit the “essence” of Coke—i.e., “refreshment, joy, unity, experience.” (If that sounds a little vague, at least it’s low-calorie.) A couple of video entries are posted at Virtual Thirst’s YouTube page—in these, the machines mostly give off music and light (though one offers “experiences” like a dude spinning on his head in a fire pit). All of them would look even better if I had some virtual weed. More at Jaffe Juice.

—Posted by Tim Nudd