Pomegranate phone? Nova Scotia ad budget goes to cellphone concept video

Some may call it unrealistic: an ultra-thin, touch-screen cellphone with e-mail, Web browsing, GPS, a camera and a video projector. Throw in a coffee brewer, shaver and harmonica, and you have the Pomegranate NS08 phone.

The far-fetched concept isn't the brainchild of any cellphone manufacturers, nor a farce from recent mobile entrant Google -- a company known for such tech hoaxes as last year's sewage-powered wireless broadband service. The Pomegranate phone is part of a $300,000 ad campaign put together by Nova Scotia. Yes, that Nova Scotia, the small province in southeastern Canada.

The website is part of the Nova Scotian government's "Come to Life" ad campaign, which hopes to build interest in the province virally through nontraditional means, a spokesman for the campaign said in an e-mail. And an imaginary cellphone would certainly classify as nontraditional.

"We needed to find a unique way to get people focused on our province," another "Come to Life" representative, Stacey Jones-Oxner, said in an e-mail. "Since there is so much buzz out there around the newest and latest smartphones, we thought this was a good device to use. This is especially true when you consider that the people who are interested in the latest technology are often people involved in business and tend to be key influencers."

Jones-Oxner says they're trying to reach those with clout in cities such as Boston, Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary. OK, so why not just take out an ad in a local newspaper? "If you consider the amount of people we have reached and compare it to the cost of say a full-page ad in ONE of our target cities (approx $60,000) it is a solid investment," Jones-Oxner wrote.

The month-old website -- created entirely by Nova Scotian citizens, right down to where the website host server is located -- has received nearly 150,000 hits, with a majority of visitors also clicking through to the Nova Scotian government website. The campaign says it is pleased with the results so far and expects popularity to snowball in the future. "The great thing about a viral campaign like this one is that it has a long shelf life!" Jones-Oxner wrote.

Now, the real question is how long until I can actually play the harmonica solo from "Blowin' in the Wind" on my cellphone?

-- Mark Milian

Photo of the Pomegranate NS08 by Nova Scotia's "Come to Life."

Comments

[laura sweet]

learn and see a lot more here:

http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/10/pomegranate-phone-dialing-up-interest.html

[Limitbreaker]

Surprisingly, while this ad campaign seems to be generating exactly the sort of buzz and interest outside the province that it was intended to do, the local social media clique chose to disparage it instead as a poor idea that wouldn't net interest or results.

[adverlicious]

Clever! It's apparently effective since they now (01/2009) have online ads supporting the site.

Check 'em out:

http://adverlicio.us/pomegranate_where_no_phone_has_gone_before_300x250

[Esstee]

hey Limitbreaker--the "local social media" (what the heck does that mean?) is not disparging the phone.

But since it was such a successful campaign, I expect you are coming to our province sometime soon?

[issmat]

Hi Mark. Great article! Just wanted to let you know that you CAN play the harmonica on your cellphone already. This phone from Japan is a collaboration between KDDi and Yamaha, and lets you play a number of instruments, including the harmonica:

http://www.yourworldtoday.ca/2008/08/26/mobiles-for-musicians-by-yamaha-and-kddi/

[lyskara]

I was taking a class in Flash animation, and the teacher showed us the video. One of my classmates was severely let down when it turned out to be a promotion for a place... psych! He thought it was real! We had such a laugh. It was a memorable session.

[Ali Imran Memon]

It got to me... And more than half my colleagues all the way in Pakistan and had me go to the Nova Scotian Govt and travel websites and explore them completely... Really far sighted and well designed campaign ... Loved it Muah!!

[Laith Hassoneh]

Have anyone idea about the Price of this phone?

[Jim Carrey]

Though I am myself from a design firm, but this news really excited me! amazing work.