Social Media Campaign Review: Fan Cam/Photo by Vodafone

If you have been following the IPL 6 tournament with interest then Vodafone’s Zoozoo advertisements featuring internet services on your phone must have caught your eye.  Considering that they are sweet animated videos that tickle the funny bone I’m sure they must have brought a smile on your face as well.  After the Vodafone Superfan initiative launched in April 2013, the company takes the IPL theme forward with its new application based on augmented reality “The Vodafone Fan Cam/Photo” as a part of their ongoing IPL 6 campaign.

Objectives:

Interactivity, personalization and putting a human face on the digital experience is at the core of the Vodafone Fan Cam/Photo campaign.  The app takes a step forward from the Superfan initiative which in April this year encouraged fans to watch the match from the hospitality stand, get a Vodafone kit, and appear live on TV while taking the signed match ball from the winning captain.  The Vodafone Fan Cam/Photo augments this initiative and cements the brands association with the ongoing IPL tournament.

Execution:

Hosted on a dedicated app the new  in-stadia digital activation gives a panoramic view of the stadium for selected matches where the user can search for themselves and tag them and then share it on their Twitter and Facebook profiles.

Application Features:

1. A fan can place his/her image using the ‘Wish You Were Here?’ tab and the app will add their face among the crowd.
2. The ‘Send A Free Postcard’  feature allows the fan can place his/her image in the frame and share it with friends and family.
3. The third tab is a ‘Find & Win’ where one has to search for the Zoozoo among the audience.  The Hint is the music that plays in the background “The louder the music the closer are you to finding the Zoozoo”
4. The fans also have the option to Share, Tag, Invite Friends and also view tagged friends on the left hand corner of the screen

The app is live and the first match uploaded is for the one between Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium on May 15^th 2013.

Positives:

This initiative by Vodafone India takes an in-stadia experience to a new level in the virtual space.  As a concept it is unique and stands out in the crowd of IPL centered campaigns.  The app is well designed, navigation is smooth and in keeping with Vodafone India’s focus on entertainment it succeeds in being entertaining and interactive.  Letting fans have fun while they try the app is the best part of it.

Scope for Improvement:

From where I see it, I really cannot find anything missing other than perhaps an offline element.  But the idea is to give fans a digital in-stadia experience because they wish they were there to begin with so I’m not sure if that’s a glaring deficiency.

Conclusion:

Vodafone India has always worked towards creating entertaining advertisements and all their promotional endeavors have that edge.  “The Vodafone Fan Cam/Photo” campaign is engaging, interactive and unique.  It is in consonance with the brand’s overall promotional strategy while being different and refreshing at the same time.