Friday 18 December 2009

THE MUPPETS GO MOBILE WITH BRITISH ROCK BAND QUEEN


Disney Interactive Studios launches “The Muppets Animal Drummer “for the iPhone and iPod touch. Available now on the App Store for $1.99 USD, the application puts users in the drummer’s seat for a game that will test the skills of wannabe rock drummers.  Users can watch and listen to Animal play then match Animal’s beat and timing to score points and unlock new songs. 

Music has always played a key role for the Muppets franchise, so to develop a music-based game with Animal, as the star was a great way to introduce the brand on the platform.  This is, according to Disney, the first step to a broader mobile initiative for the Muppets brand. The Muppets Studio LLC is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co. 

TMS plans to develop new content in all arenas, including television, feature films, Internet, music and theme parks, and to enhance the Muppets global licensing and distribution presence.  The Muppets Animal Drummer application features a Free Play Mode where users can rock out with Muppets character “Animal” to original music or songs imported from users’ iTunes music library.  Users can also score points and create combos to charge their Rock Meter and power their stage presence.  They can also use the application to create original music, then hit the record feature and watch Animal replay their jam session.


In addition to this application release the Muppets have teamed up with legendary British rock band QUEEN to record a version of "Bohemian Rhapsody."   “The Queen and Muppets’ version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was released digitally by Walt Disney Records on December 15, so users of Animal Drummer can actually rock out with Animal and the song in the app's Free Play Mode by first downloading ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ through iTunes for $0.99 to their music library and then importing it into the app,” Mr. Saiz said.  “The track is also available as a ringtone on traditional mobile devices,” he said.

Wednesday 16 December 2009

VITAMINWATER application downloads over 250,000 times in two weeks


We mix the vitamins, you mix the beats:  Vitaminwater-branded Sound Lab application featuring hip-hop superstar 50 Cent was downloaded more than 250,000 times in the first two weeks after its induction.  The application lets fans download and remix the artist’s newest single “Baby By Me.” A mobile advertising campaign pushed 50’s Sound Lab application to No. 1 in the Top Free Music applications in the App Store.

“We met with vitaminwater in the summer and they were very keen on using music as a vehicle to reach their base," said Jon Vlassapulos, CEO of Moderati Inc., San Francisco. “They’re forward-thinking and they like the Romplr platform, which gelled with their overall consumer base.


“Coca-Cola’s Energy Brands thought an iPhone app would be an appealing natural extension of their relationship with 50 Cent, who is a founding partner of the vitaminwater brand, and it also dovetailed with the release of his new album,” he said.  Brands can get extra value out of endorsement deals via mobile. Energy Brands, also doing business as GlacĂ©au, is a privately owned subsidiary of Coca-Cola based in Whitestone, NY, that manufactures and distributes various lines of enhanced water such as vitaminwater. Rap artist Curtis Jackson—known as 50 Cent—obtained a 10 percent share of the company as part of an endorsement deal.

This application reinforced vitaminwater’s brand objective of getting out the message that its product has vitamins in it with the tagline "We mix the vitamins, you mix the beats."The application came out the same day as the record, and it was a perfect storm where Apple picked it up, fans liked it and it shot to No. 1 after a few days in the App Store.

Successful app marketing
In addition to the download tally, which is approaching 300,000, user engagement figures included close to 1 million remixes uploaded to the companion site at http://www.50soundlab.com.



In addition, the application drove conversions—more than 64,000 downloads of 50 Cent’s latest single “Baby By Me.”  In-application purchases of mobile content are a growing trend to look out for in 2010.

The Sound Lab remix platform lets fans interact with music by creating their own versions of tracks by their favorite artists, thereby becoming part of the creative process themselves.  The 50’s Sound Lab application gives fans access to the key elements of the original recording and provides creative tools to connect with and personalize the new single.  In addition to being able to remix the new single, 50 Cent is giving one fan a chance to show off their skills and travel with a friend to meet the artist in New York City.

Once all of the vitaminwater remixes have been uploaded, 50 Cent will scout out the best remix of his latest single and invite that person to meet with him.  Users can record and share their personal mixes via Facebook, email or on the online interactive music companion site at http://www.50soundlab.com.


Read original article.

Monday 14 December 2009

LG LAUNCHED AN OUT-OF-HOME CAMPAIGN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FILM “AVATAR”


Handset manufacturer LG launched an out-of-home campaign in conjunction with the film “Avatar” to coincide with the launch of the latest Chocolate devices.  The two-week campaign featuring the new LG Chocolate BL40 and the forthcoming Chocolate BL20 ran across London 6 sheets and national bus T sides, in addition to the five interactive touch-screens in bus shelters.  The digital bus shelters featured information about the LG handsets, plus characters information, and trailers from James Cameron’s “Avatar” film, in theaters Dec. 17.


Engaging bus commuters
The interactive bus shelter hosted a 42-inch touch-screen combined with a PIR motion-activated system and camera.   When inactive, the screen features the eyes of Na’vi—a character in the film—until a member of the public approaches and the motion sensor activates a talking Avatar before the new Chocolate LG40 comes into the shot.


A short video shows the touch-screen and QWERTY keypad navigation, a walkthrough of the Web browser, Google maps and GPS applications before going to the media browser and selecting a video clip which launches the 30-second Avatar trailer.  Returning to the media browser carousel, the user is then invited to opt in by pressing icons on the screen to view more product information, take part in a competition or view the trailer again.

The partnership will be supported through a TV spot that features the “Avatar” movie trailer footage projected from LG eXpo and an interactive micro-site, which includes exclusive movie content.  The campaign’s TV ad began airing Fri., Dec. 11, on CBS during NCAA games and ESPN.  The TV broadcast ad is also running during cable programming such as CSTV, Adult Swim, Comedy Central, Discovery, G4, History Channel, Science Channel, Spike, SyFy and USA.


LG said that it wanted to have an impactful execution that would bring the new LG Chocolate’s feature set to life in an accurate and creative way that would both grab attention and involve consumers in the content.   Despite the high-tech, interactive nature of the campaign, there were a few missed opportunities.

An SMS call-to-action in the bus shelter would have given LG and Avatar the opportunity to ask consumers to text a keyword into a short code and opt in for alerts, coupons or future remarketing.  Also, there is not a mobile-optimized/WAP version of the micro-site, and there is no mobile advertising in conjunction with the campaign.   LG and “Avatar” however did launch an exclusive joint-sponsored Facebook page between Fox and MTV.