The Campaign

On the 22nd of January 2009 musician Jol created the worlds first mobile phone Symphonia using 1000 mobile phones and 2000 texts to play Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overtune. Each phone was loaded with a different TXT alert (bassoon, violin, oboe, bass drum etc) and 2000 texts were sent live by our conductor to the 1000 phones which, when received, played the 1812 overtune. It was done for real, in real time. The campaign demonstrated the speed of the network and the amazing things you could do with Vodafone’s TXT 2000 which gives customers 2000 texts for $10.

Success of the Campaign

The launch 60 second TVC captured musician Jol conducting the world’s first mobile phone Symphonia using just text alerts, 100 phones and 2000 texts. The making of films were then posted on Vodafone’s website and on You Tube confirming and detailing how it was done for real in real time using the Vodafone network. Web banners instructed people to create their own tunes using an on-line tool and then sent messages to your friends. Newspaper, poster and point of sale then took the visual world of 1000 phones to promote and see text packages, phones and services.

Describe how the campaign/entry was launched and executed across each channel in the order of implementation.

Despite being heavily outspent, Vodafone’s symPHONia campaign smashed all comms, brand and sales expectations: • 84% of New Zealanders recalled the campaign, and with 488,000 views, symPHONia was the #1 viewed and #1 favourited New Zealand clip on You Tube in November 2009. • Following months of sustained declines, all key brand health measures turned around and trended back upwards • Aggressive Christmas sales targets were beaten by over 19% •Vodafone won by far the highest share of both handset sales and connections symPHONia was a resolute success for Vodafone, delivering, in the words of one of Vodafone’s partner retailers, “the best Christmas in five years”.