Duracell Video Asks Cold Canadian Bus Passengers to #PowerWarmth

As a particularly brutal winter winds to an end, battery brand Duracell is reminding consumers about a different kind of power -the power of human connection – in a video in which it set up a bus shelter in Montreal with a heater literally powered by the people waiting inside.

In other words, in order to activate the heater, passengers had to remove their gloves and touch the designated handprints on either side of the shelter while holding hands themselves.

The bus stop calls this “a moment of warmth powered by you.”

Published March 5, the video has 156,000 views as of March 12.

The shelter is covered with messaging for the Duracell Quantum battery, or what the brand calls its “biggest innovation since the CopperTop battery” that is “the world’s most-advanced alkaline battery delivering unbeatable, long-lasting power.”

In September, Duracell celebrated the launch of its Quantum battery by donating 1 million batteries to first responders in North America.

On Facebook, Duracell says it is trying to #PowerWarmth this winter and it is inviting its 5.9 million fans to share the video. For each share, Duracell says it will donate $1 to Habitat for Humanity Canada, up to $25,000.

As of March 12, the post had 19,000 shares and 10,000 likes.

The video contains additional feel-good messaging, as it says, “In Canada, we have cold winters, but we also have each other.”

Jason Burby, president of the Americas at digital agency Possible, says this branded experience is something he expects to see more of – particularly after seeing the faces of the passengers as they touched hands and derived a clear benefit in the cold.

“The biggest thing that location gives you is the ability to be extremely relevant to the audience. Cold weather makes perfect sense, but it could be something different elsewhere,” Burby says. “Location allows you to customize it and make it much more relevant, so it’s much better than a billboard or TV thing you’re watching or a basic social campaign.”

Duracell is also the brand behind the #TrustYourPower series on YouTube, which includes the enormously popular video featuring Seattle Seahawks player Derrick Coleman, which has 22.4 million views, as well as a newer video with Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy, which has more than 2 million views as of March 12.

Duracell says the Purdy video is the third in its inspirational “Trust Your Power” series, which celebrates “the enduring human spirit.”

In a press release, Duracell adds that Trust Your Power “celebrates the spirit of perseverance within us all – the power to achieve greatness in the face of adversity.”

A Duracell rep was not available for comment.

Duracell is a Procter & Gamble brand.