The launch of the Working Title movie Mr. Beans Holiday heralds the first UK use of new mobile technology called Snap Happy, exclusively from marcomms agency Magnet Harlequin.
Following the success of the first Mr Bean movie, which took $260
million (133 million) at the box office, the latest offering, which is
the official film for Comic Relief, follows the adventures of the
accident-prone hero as he journeys to the South of France.
Magnet
Harlequins mobile division 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, with
the campaign for Mr Beans holiday appearing on posters nationwide.
When
a consumer sees a Mr Bean poster with the Snap Happy logo, they can
take a picture of the poster using their mobile and send it via MMS to
07786 200547. The Snap Happy technology will automatically identify the
type of phone they have and then offer them the appropriate free
ringtones, wallpaper or video, all exclusively recorded by Mr Bean.
The Snap Happy technology does not require any application to be
downloaded to the phone. It uses an algorithm to match the consumers
cameraphone picture to the promotional image logged on the database.
Magnet Harlequin says that even partial images taken in poor light or
at an angle will be recognisable.
Using the technology, the company
says, marketers can enable print ads, point-of-sale material, posters,
packaging and even websites to allow consumers to interact with their
brands in real time. Magnet Harlequin is also experimenting with
coupling the technology to GPS satnav systems to give brands a picture
of which ads are working best for them, and where those ads are located
geographically.
The Snap Happy campaign for Mr Beans Holiday launches through cinemas nationwide on 26th March.