Viral Now: Cash or Kiss?

A café in Sydney took restaurant promotion to a new level by inviting patrons to redeem their coffees with kisses! The promotional film has gone viral since.

Unfortunately for the French, of all the things they pride themselves on - the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, The Louvre Museum, the Riviera - the French kiss is the most popular. And Sydney's Metro St. James exploited just this.

The recently opened French café at Hyde Park added a new dimension to the saying 'cash or kind' by offering free coffee to those who kissed their partners in full view, while at the café. A photo of every kissing couple was then uploaded on the brand's Facebook and Instagram feeds. This offer was valid all June, between 9 and 11 am. While the promotion window has elapsed, it has left in its wake a few lakh internet surfers discussing the idea.

The YouTube video posted by the café has received over 8,16,922 views in just three months. What's more? These page views flooded in with hilarious doubts in tow: 'If I come in by myself, can I kiss the waiter?', 'If I kiss five people do I get five free coffees?' and 'If I come alone could I kiss a stranger who is also alone?' are some of the tamer examples. Some lonely hearts, however, bashed the idea saying it's not 'single-friendly'. And just for the record, café staff was off limits.

Besides promoting the offer on Facebook, the owner of the café also spoke about the idea on Sydney radio, six days into the campaign. "This will bring back the romance," he said, in conversation with a couple of giggling RJs. Come to think of it, never mind these online and radio marketing efforts; just imagine the amount of offline word of mouth (no pun intended; okay, maybe a little) this must have generated in Sydney!

The kissing is over at 110 Elizabeth Street Sydney, but for the accountant manning the cash register at this café, the fun is probably just beginning.

('Viral Now' is a section about videos that are catching people's fancy on social media)