Nokia & Priyanka Chopra: not just a phone, not just an ad

I quite liked the Nokia-Priyanka Chopra ad. What works? The ‘non-ad’ approach. (It was oh-so-evident in the SRK ads). Everyday situations well juxtaposed with the features of the phone. Nicely captures the insight that a phone is an appendage and not just an instrument to make calls.

While it is meant to promote the Nokia 3600 Slide and 7610 Supernova phones, it would do well for the Nokia mother brand.

The international campaign of this project relies a lot more on non-traditional media and operates on a different scale (but then, what’s new?). It involves more than 3,000 pieces of content, from Facebook posts and text messages to TV ads, giving the public the chance to follow in real-time the mobile-centric lives of three fictional characters: Anna, Jade and Luca.

The concept behind the campaign is that in a digital age a mobile phone can provide a window into someone’s entire life (‘it’s who we are’). Each of the characters also has their own website where people can go to see the interactions they are having with friends and family.The mobile numbers of each of the characters will be made available so those following the campaign can influence the direction of their lives. Here is Anna’s website. At the end of the six-week campaign, the stories will end with the characters needing to make crucial decisions. The content used to create the interactive stories is available here.

I am inclined to follow the goings-on of the three fictional characters – I guess there is a voyeur in all of us. On the other hand, while the Priyanka TVC is nice, it is like an experience that conveys the brand message once. On the other hand, the focus on non-traditional media extends the brand experience and involves the viewer better. The India leg of the campaign supposedly includes things beyond TV – so here’s looking forward to that.