AlphaMedia Group is running a full page house ad in the July Maxim, which encourages consumers to “call and get a hottie wallpaper on your mobile phone.” Instead of using a mobile short code to text in, as past campaigns have, the ad advertises a phone number that readers can call to receive downloads of mobile wallpapers of Maxim pinups.
The new technology allows Maxim to expand its audience to a wider demographic than just teens, said Dennis Becker, CEO of CommerceTel, which worked on the campaign with Maxim. “By giving a phone number it makes it easier for consumers to interact, since everyone knows how to use a phone number,” he said.
The phone number in the ad includes 12 local phone numbers to various cities nationwide. While the numbers can be accessed from any area code, the idea is to make readers believe that they are actually connecting with girls in local cities. “It adds realism to the mobile content production,” added Becker.
A caller will be greeted with a recording of a “Maxim girl” and will then be offered the opportunity to push a button to automatically download an image to the mobile phone.
The campaign involves a mix of interactive voice response (IVR) technology, which incorporates direct dial phone numbers and MO, the technology that powers keyword short code texting. It is a trial run as part of a new partnership between CommerceTel and Airborne Mobile, Maxim‘s mobile content brand partner. Airborne is handling the SMS transactions and CommerceTel is providing the direct dial phone numbers and the IVR front end.
