From zero to hero

Handsets face the music

What?: The mobile manufacturers are looking for talent; as we try our damned hardest not to look the other way. “Rock it. Tape it. Share it” say LG in an attempt to promote its latest line of music enabled handsets. LG is offering wannabe artists the chance to win $10,000 to kick-start their music career with an online video contest. A total of 12 LG music phones will be given away to voters in the run up to finding a winner in January.

Samsung are also embarking on an online talent contest to promote the Juke phone. Users are asked to create a playlist of their 10 favourite uploaded tracks in order to select whobecomes the ‘Juke Box Hero’. Four weekly prizes of a Samsung SC-MX10 Camcorder and a Juke phone can be won.

So what?: Talent contests are ten a penny and the unimaginative list is only getting longer. The Juke Box hero theme tune is the best thing about Samsung’s campaign, which offers up predominately non-music related prizes to winners ignoring the devices key selling point, the ‘flipping’ phone. LG’s campaign has a similar thread. Both want to engage bands and fans, yet all they seem to offer is bribery and poor content. Both devices have potential beyond these off-the-peg music campaigns.

“LG could do with injecting more character to the work to create a more credible association with music and not merely be the guys who are signing the prize cheques”
Jon Kwan, Account Manager, FRUKT

www.lgformusic.com
www.samsungjuke.com