Slingshot creates voice activated mobile ads to promote the Blu-ray and DVD launch of ‘Her’

In the award-winning movie Her, Theodore Twombly, played by Joaquin Phoenix, falls in love with an operating system called ‘Samantha’ (Scarlett Johansson). Now life is imitating art with an Australian media first – voice-activated mobile advertising.

To celebrate the launch of Her on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet, Slingshot was tasked by Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia to find a cost effective and innovative way to promote the Oscar and Golden Globe award-winning film from Spike Jonze.

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Set in Los Angeles in 2025, Her follows Theodore Twombly, a complex soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters from other people.

Heartbroken after the end of a long-term relationship, Theodore becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user.

Upon initiating his device, Theodore is delighted to meet ‘Samantha’ (voiced by Johansson), a bright female voice who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow in tandem with his, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.

Slingshot’s insight was based on the relationship many of us have with our mobile devices, which is reflected by the artificial love affair Theodore has with Samantha. It engaged mobile marketing company Mobile Embrace to replicate the film’s premise, as closely as possible, into a campaign to promote Her’s release on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet.

Mobile Embrace looked to US-headquartered Nuance Communications Inc, the global leader in speech recognition technology and its Nuance Voice Ads, two-way, conversational advertising platform to create Australia’s first voice activated advertising campaign for mobile devices.

A Her-branded call to action will feature on banner ads running on Mobile Embrace’s publisher advertising network. After users click on the ad they will hear: “Hi, I’m your operating system, but you can call me Samantha.” She will then ask a series of three verbal questions with the voice replies from users then receiving a tailored response from ‘Samantha’, with the final interaction promoting the film.

Says Cindy McCulloch, marketing director at Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia: “We really wanted a campaign that made the most of modern day technology and the reliance people have on their mobile phones.

“The use of Nuance voice activated technology ties in with the film Her perfectly, encourages conversation, and being an Australian first initiative makes this campaign both progressive and innovative, much like the film itself.”

Says Simon Corbett, managing director at Slingshot: “Conversation is the most natural form of engagement known to man and by creating a conversation with consumers about the release of Her we have been able to showcase the film and deliver an Australian advertising first at the same time.”

Says Peter Birch, managing director at Mobile Embrace’s 4th Screen Advertising: “With the innovation of voice-based input across Android and iPhone, users are now being exposed to the possibility of interacting with their devices using natural speech. We know that great creative delivers high engagement and better results for our advertisers. That’s what we always strive to deliver.

“This is another creative first for Mobile Embrace and is the first time voice activation technology has been used in the advertising industry to create personalised and entertaining ad formats. We are excited to be part of this pioneering and collaborative project and build the campaign creative using Nuance voice recognition technology.”

Says Jason Stirling, senior vice president, Nuance, Asia Pacific: “The opportunity to apply our technology to the DVD launch of Her, as a first in the Australian market, is another key milestone in transforming the advertising industry into a two-way dialogue. Voice-activated technology is offering brands a new way to engage with their audiences, while empowering consumers to engage with brands, on their own terms. We are thrilled to work alongside Mobile Embrace and Slingshot to bring this iconic campaign to life.”