Iconic Australian personalities lend their voices to the ‘Whereis’ navigation app via Sensis

Three of Australia’s most iconic personalities including Jennifer Hawkins, Dame Edna Everage and Nick Giannopoulos as ‘The Wog Boy’ have provided navigation iPhone app ‘Whereis’ their voices to guide people turn-by-turn, to their desired location. The app was built in house by digital marketing and directories business, Sensis.

The app offers extensive coverage of Australia featuring the most up to date map data from Whereis Maps, Australia’s local mapping expert.

LISTEN TO J. HAWKINS – Jennifer Hawkins Sound Bite.mp3

LISTEN TO DAME EDNA – Dame Edna Sound Bite.mp3

LISTEN TO WOG BOY – Nick G Sound Bite.mp3

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Says Carl Rigoni, Sensis executive general manager, product: “We’re proud to be able to offer a comprehensive mapping experience complete with spoken turn-by-turn directions for all iPhone users in Australia. The App will help Australians get to their destination more easily, and ensure each journey is an entertaining one.”

Chosen for their ability to inject some fun and humour into the navigation experience, the Whereis app allows users to change between personalities at the touch of a button, ensuring a fun-filled drive that might include some quirky voice commands, including:

• “Roaaaaaad triiiiiiiiiiiiip!” – Jennifer Hawkins
• “I felt safe with you…isn’t that spooky?” – Dame Edna Everage
• “You, me, this car…mate we’re going places!” – Nick Giannopoulos as ‘The Wog Boy’

Since it first launched in August 2011, the Whereis iPhone app has become one of Australia’s most popular navigation apps, offering extensive map coverage using the most up-to-date data from Whereis, Australia’s local mapping expert.

Says Rigoni: “Whether on foot or in the car, the Whereis iPhone app allows Australians to search for addresses, places of interest and businesses, and be directed straight there with the commands from some of the most recognisable voices in Australia.

“Mapping & Navigation is now the most popular online mobile activity in Australia (The Australian Online Consumer Report, February 2012, Nielsen). We understand that consumers are expecting more and more from their phones, so we wanted to do something fun – we hope that our users enjoy the experience.

“If you need directions it’s always best to ask a local. Whereis is your local map provider with local market knowledge.”

Utilising over 1.4 million points of interest including petrol stations, ATMs, restaurants, car parks and more, the Whereis iPhone app also enables consumers to drop points of interest on their map with the tap of a button, locate themselves on a map and get directions to a location with or without road tolls.

Says Hawkins: “Having my voice on the Whereis iPhone app is really exciting. I’ve never done this before, so I thought it was something different and a bit fun to get involved with. It is a little bit embarrassing though to hear my own voice, but it’s a cheeky idea, so I’m all for it.”

Says Edna Everage: “I’m thrilled to have my voice added to Whereis because it really is something they should have thought of a long time ago. I’ve sat in cars listening to boring people, telling my driver where to go and frankly these voices need to be voices with personality and that’s what I’ve injected into my directions.”

Says Giannopoulos: “I loved the opportunity to add my voice to the Whereis iPhone app. I always wanted the chance to tell people where to go and now I’m getting paid for it! We recorded hundreds of commands that I didn’t even know you can do in your car, along with a few surprises – I just hope that I haven’t offended anyone, especially my mother.”

Other key features include:

• Voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, telling you when to make a turn.
• Extensive Australian map coverage using the most up-to-date data from Whereis Maps.
• Automatic re-route if you take a wrong turn.
• Day and night-mode views when navigating.
• Locate your current position on the map, whether you’re on foot or in a car.
• Search for addresses, places and businesses from Yellow Pages.
• Quick search panel to help you find points-of-interest on your map such as petrol stations, ATMs, restaurants, car parks, etc.
• Displays current time and battery life information when navigating.
• One-touch to call or get directions to a business of your choosing when in map view.

For more information on the Whereis iPhone app please click here.