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Cutting Edge: Snap Happy counting on Mr Bean
The launch of Working Title's eagerly awaited movie ‘Mr Bean's Holiday' heralds the first UK use of new mobile technology called Snap HappyTM exclusively from marcomms agency Magnet Harlequin (www.magharl.co.uk ).
Following on from the success of the first Mr Bean movie that took $260 million at the box office, this latest offering, which is the official film for Comic Relief, follows the hilarious adventures of our accident prone hero as he journey's to the South of France
Magnet Harlequin's mobile division, headed up by Scott Seaborn, has created Snap Happy to offer brands a tactical marketing solution that unlocks the potential of mobile technology. Universal will be the first brand to use the solution and the campaign for Mr Bean's holiday will appear on posters nationwide.
All the consumer needs to do when they see a Mr Bean poster with the special Snap Happy logo is to take a picture of the poster using their mobile phone and send it via MMS to Mr Bean's special mobile number - 07786 200547. The Snap Happy technology will automatically identify the type of phone they have and then offer them the appropriate free ring tones, wallpaper or video, all exclusively recorded by Mr Bean.
Picture recognition technology is a real break through for mobile marketing and a valuable addition to the marketing mix. Unlike other technologies that use barcodes or require the consumer to download an application, picture recognition can be seamlessly incorporated into existing campaigns. The technology behind Snap Happy uses an algorithm to match the consumer's camera phone picture to the promotional image logged on the database - even partial images taken in poor light or at an angle will be recognisable.
Scott Seaborn puts the potential of this technology in context. "In the UK 40% of brands [1] have already used text messaging which has been extremely successful. WAP enabled mobile phones are the second most popular digital device owned by Britons after the PC [2], so we know the potential for this kind of activity is huge."
Marketers can now enable print ads, POS, posters, packaging and even websites to allow consumers to interact with their brands in real time. The Snap Happy technology, with its real time reporting structure, could inspire a new generation of media analytics. Magnet Harlequin are experimenting with coupling this technology to GPS (satellite navigation) systems giving brands a true picture of which advertisements are working best for them, and where those ads are located geographically.
The Snap Happy campaign for Mr Bean's Holiday will launch through cinemas nationwide on 26th March.
For press information contact Juliet Bernard Juliet@bluebear.co.uk,
telephone 01707 320274
26 March 2007