The viral aims to draw the viewer in using classic scary movie cues before a dramatic final climax to build buzz around the mobile phone.
Entitled St Mary's Ghost, the viral is part of the latest phase of Sony Ericsson's 'I (SE) beating boredom campaign' for the W595. The browser window shows a split-screen of four night-time CCTV views of a hospital interior. In one streaming, a night watchman sits at a desk watching a computer screen but is startled when his mobile phone rings.
The screen switches to a close-up of the mobile's caller display, which shows the viewer's name and number. After a moment, the viewer's own mobile phone rings and when they answer, they hear the eerie sounds of the scene they are watching in front of them.
At the end of the viral, Sony Ericsson asks the viewer to ‘Share and Scare' their friends by entering their friends' details, thus sending the viral on, giving the sender the opportunity to win a W595 handset.
In addition to this free prize draw, there is a YouTube animation that shows users how to use the W595's YouTube video upload tool.
There will also be an e-shot sent out to existing Sony Ericsson customers, directing them to the microsite, www.stmarysghost.com.
The digital campaign will be supported by direct mailings of phone socks containing guides on features of the W595, as well as in-store promotions and experiential activity, all created by Iris.
The campaign targets 15- to 24-year-olds, who use their phone for entertainment, sharing files with friends and messaging each other via the Internet.
The video assets have been made available to nearly 600 sites across the UK and Italy, with an emphasis on tech, lifestyle and mobile sites. A 'spooky' chart has been created on the Viral Video Chart, which has enabled Unruly Media to identify and contact influential bloggers in the space to initially make them aware of the campaign, and also invite them to host the content on a commercial basis.
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