Adrants reader Heather Dougherty received an odd text message today on her phone that may have been part of the currently running, very strange Geico advertising campaign. The message read, "Call me ASAP! I just found out someone u used to mess with has an std. But don't stress - I just saved a ton of money by switching to GEICO. Keep this going!"
Whether or not this is a sanctioned viral SMS campaign is unclear. We've contacted Geico seeking confirmation. While spoofs like this happen all the time, we have a hard time believing the average person would actually create a TXT message like this just to send to their friend. It has advertising copy written all over it. On the other hand, does anyone really want unsolicited TXT message of any kind delivered to their phones? We're not sure we do. What about you?
Brazilian-based AgenciaClick has created what would seem to be an intriguing interactive movie theater experience to promote the Fiat Idea Adventure, a light offroad vehicle. Movie goers will meet a guy named John in a pre-movie film and, using SMS messaging from their cell phones, be able to generate 16 different versions of the promotional film and choose the ending.
To promote its new online and mobile dating show, Meet or Delete, this virally intended video features a woman on her bed transfixed by a guy she's checking out online. Her desires to be with him do come to fruition but, sadly, not for too long.
Fergie, aka Stacy Ferguson, is getting some help from Retail Entertainment Design which has put together an in-store promotion with retail chain Vanity to promote her new album, The Dutchess. From September 19 through October 23, in-store and online promotions will promote the album as well as offer a chance to win a trip to meet Fergie. Those who have participated in prior Vanity promotions will receive a text message with the offer.
Soon to make "regular" 411 service a thing of the past because of its obscenely high cost specially on mobile services are services like Jingle Networks' 800-FREE411, a 411 service that gives you the number without a charge and occasionally plays an ad prior to giving you the number. Most ads are mercifully short like this collection from CBS which is promoting its fall lineup with the service. Rather than paying as much as $1.50 or more simply to get a phone number, listening to a :10 seems like a very fair exchange. We think these services have legs particularly in a world full of TiVos, ad blockers and cell phones.
- If you're interested in what other people make for a salary, here's yet another place to find out.
- CBS is piloting several billboards that beam information about its prime-time lineup to Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices.
- Commercial Alert isn't happy with PBS's decision to solicit ads for its kid-focused websites. The group's director, Gary Ruskin says, "This is a betrayal of parents and children across the country. PBS has forgotten its mission, and is selling our children to the highest bidder. PBS President Paula Kerger should be fired immediately."
- Design Observer lauds design guru Helmut Krone.
- Here's an interesting map showing the global domination of the Starbucks and McDonald's brands.
- Japan has un-banned a nude/pregnant poster of Britney Spears from Tokyo's subway system. Officials originally thought it was "too stimulating" for young people.
- Oh please. Can we just stop with the slap a log on the baby's head thing?
As part of a comprehensive, many million dollar campaign for local search engine Yell.com, AKQA, in a first they tell us, created bus sides on 25 buses that use GPS to change the advertising message based upon the bus's location. The approach aligns perfectly with Yell.com's business premise: to deliver local information relevant to one's location.
The agency also created bus shelters which display a map of where you are and allow you to search for things such as cafes, shops, health club, etc. bas upon the location of the bus shelter. While this seems like a very logical use of technology to further a marketing strategy, AKQA was the first to do it which is, perhaps, why this agency wins so many new clients and awards.
Television music network fuse has joined with the truth anti-smoking campaign, , for a documentary, called Warped: Inside & Out, which will look at the alternative music and extreme sports event, Vans Warped Tour 2006. The documentary will cover the three month-long music tour and will feature truth brand presence by incorporating the orange truth truck and its crew. The series also includes the tour¹s creator Kevin Lyman and his staff, roadies, guitar techs, tour bus drivers, members and managers of the 100+ bands that will be on the tour.
The documentary will include a supporting campaign with content accessible on fuseMobile, fuse On Demand and online at fuse.tv. which will have a micro-site designed to give tour-goers and non-attendees the details on Warped. The site will have a bunch of clips from Warped, along with photo galleries and blogs that will cover the tour.
If we were writing a press release for our client Amp'd Mobile and we were talking about how the company was the official sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders and the client would be simalcasting events to Amp'd Mobile customers, we probobly wouldn't refer to the Professional Bull Riders Association as PBR unless the sponsorship also involved the actual PBR - Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Even if the client insisted. Just a thought.
AtomFilms and Alltell have teamed to launch a new contest in which people can submit videos shot on mobile phones to win between $1,000 and $5,000 as well as distribution of their video on AtomFilms. Of course the contest, Are You Circle Worthy, promotes Alltel's My Circle calling plan which is similar to the old MCI Friends and Family plan.
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