Category Archives: Mobile marketing

SAS entertains delayed & bored passengers (of other carriers…)

Scandinavian Airlines just launched “The TimeKiller”, an iPhone app for all of those who don’t fly with SAS and therefore get frustrated with delayed flights and long waits at the airport. The insight is super brilliant: Scandinavian Airlines is Europe’s most punctual airline 2009 and 2010 and during July and August 2011. For all the passengers flying with other carriers the experience at the airport can be painful and definitely boring. So until the next flight (when they will choose SAS) they can kill the wait with a series of small iPhone games.

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HTC ChaCha pushes your Facebook button

I guess there is no better post to follow my previous one about staying off Facebook. HTC’s smartphone ‘ChaCha’ wants you to share like there’s no tomorrow, simply by pressing the magic f-button at the bottom of its keyboard. And naturally HTC are promoting this feature within facebook itself. Install their app and ‘see what happens when you push it’ - the result is an extreme version of your own facebook existence. Have a look at my own version in which my dumb profile photo fits serendipitously. Read more…

1 song, 1 fan, 1 ringback tone = great buzz (and conversion)

Ringbacktones have been around for years. As far as I know they haven’t been particularly successful. But this campaign by Forsman & Bodenfors for Comviq could help boosting their popularity. The idea is simple and smart. Comviq, the biggest Swedish pre-paid mobile provider partnered with Universal Music and singer Veronica Maggio to release her new single exclusively as ringbacktone on one phone number only. For two weeks, the only way to hear her new single was to call +46739 52 50 06, a number belonging to a 18 years old student and great fan of Veronica. Love the idea of advertising through experience. Love the idea of jumping on the bandwagon of a music artist popularity to let her, not the brand spread the word about the service. As Adland points out, the amazing thing is that 56% of the people who called the number to discover the song immediately signed up for the ringback tone service.

Heineken Star Player : get in the game

Bravo AKQA ! What a clever and good move for Heineken. The creative agency developped applications which can be played online, on Facebook and especially on mobile, and allow players to bet live on actions during Champions League games. This nice video speaks for itself : I don’t know about you, but I just downloaded the iPhone app, and get ready for tonight’s game. Hmmm… Messi will score during the 10 first minutes. Who bet ?

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Black Eyed Peas launch interactive video on iPhone

Maybe it’s because they wanted to give their fans something more, or maybe they just wanted to make sure fans have a reason to pay for their music. Regardless the motivation, I like the Black Eyed Peas idea of creating an app to build buzz around themselves. After all, music is entertainment marketing, and in 2011 the best bands and singers are those who are smart enough to become a brand, not just good artists. BEP360 is an interactive music video which also includes an augmented reality view which is activated by pointing the Iphone to the album cover. Also, you can create your own photo session with the band and share it with the other fans around the world displayed on virtual map. I haven’t downloaded it myself yet, but comments on iTunes sound pretty positive even if some complain the quality of the interactive video could have been better.

Gesture Sharing for Smartphones and Tablets

Amnesia Razorfish, Sydney today announced the launch of Amnesia Connect a software breakthrough, which allows instant and seamless sharing and transfer of any content such as photos, music or embedded apps between multiple handheld devices using a Microsoft Surface table using a single gesture. It launched today, and there is more information on the software at: Amnesia Razorfish

Amnesia Connect

Your flight is in your hands

Fast and easy check-in with your mobile phone with Gol Airlines. What a better way to explain this feature than to transform your phone in a remote control to pilot a plane? Of course online, of course in an interactive way and, most importantly, taking a banner to the next level.

Enjoy this nice idea by AlmapBBDO for a Gol campaign that stayed online for five days generating an average of 2500 calls per day.

Facebook vs Hamilton

Vodafone is challenging F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, to race against the speed of it’s improved mobile data network in The Netherlands. To make it an actual challenge, Vodafone calls for 28.800 Facebook users to join the race in a virtual car on Facebook. The time it takes Vodafone’s network to download all of their profile pics, is the time to beat for Hamilton. The actual race will take place on a secret track – Schiphol is rumored – on the 13th of september. The race will be aired live on Facebook.

Go Beyond Borders Project – The fall of the Berlin Wall

Using digital media is a good way of reliving historic events from the past. Last year it was all about the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing, with outstanding projects such as We chose the moon. But last year it was also the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and that is how it was created the Go Beyond Borders Project, an initiative of Heimat Berlin and CNN International in conjunction with Berlin Tape Artist El Bocho.

Gap + iPad = cool

As a consumer based in Europe (and partly as a digital marketer), I never thought Gap was a cool brand. But now, a few days after the iPad has been launched, I definitely changed my mind.

The Gap 1969 Stream iPad app is so much of the moment! It’s an iPad application that allows you to browse a lot of (branded) denim content, celebrities and designers videos as well as music. And on top of this, looks like you can also purchase products directly from the application. Once again, the geek marketer in me claims an iPad as soon as possible. But I guess I will have to wait until end of April to get one in Italy.