In what the companies are claiming is a world first, 20:20 London, Incentivated and the COI (Central Office of Information) have collaborated to launch THMBNLS, an interactive, ad-funded mobile soap opera for the Department of Children, Schools and Families. THMBNLS follows the lives of six teenagers and raises awareness of sexual wellbeing. The 22 weekly episodes will be available exclusively via the mobile Internet, and will be free to download.
Viewers register online via their mobile browser at: www.thmbnls.mobi Traffic is being driven to the site via mobile banner ads placed across the six operator portals; 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin and Vodafone. The first of the weekly 30-second episodes was released at 7pm on Friday 9 January, with viewers reminded to watch the next episode by text message or vCalendar entries they have previously downloaded to their phone thereafter. The vCalendar can be downloaded to activate the handsets alarm function, thereby avoiding the cost of additional SMS reminders.
THMBNLS is a made-for-mobile soap opera which provides viewer engagement. Viewers can interact with the show, and many of the episodes will be personalised. Viewers names will appear in characters mobile phone books featured in the plot, on posters and graffiti featured in soap opera, and they can sign-up for voice messages from TMBNLS characters. Viewers can also vote on issues and dilemmas faced by characters in the soap to direct future storylines.
In a campaign first for the UK, THMBNLS is free to receive. Following negotiations between Incentivated and the five UK mobile networks, all data charges are zero-rated, including SMS alerts and WAP browsing sessions both for viewers on contract and pay as you go plans. THMBNLS is being promoted with mobile advertising, web advertising and a PR campaign.
Its a really exciting project, as it enables us to reach the audience in a powerful and personal way, says Emma Cowan from the COI. Because its unchartered territory, its been challenging to work with so many parties and agencies to ensure that its free to the user, as well as get the word out to the audience to get them to sign up.
Incentivated Managing Director Jonathan Bass says the campaign is one of the more demanding briefs the company has seen, and one it has enjoyed solving.
Its a privilege to bring to life an ingenious idea which harnesses the power of mobile in delivering rich interactivity to a tech-savvy audience, says Bass.