Monday, February 21, 2005

Would You Like A Happy Ending?

From c21 Media Law&Order uses SMS for ending.

Australia's Network Ten is offering viewers the chance to choose between two different endings to an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, using mobile phone text-messaging.

The network is embarking on an ambitious television experiment, which in principle could mean audiences in Queensland end up watching an entirely different outcome to those in New South Wales.

Network Ten is working with promotional marketing agency Legion Interactive to launch the initiative this coming Sunday evening. During the final 10 minutes of the Law & Order: Criminal Intent special, the lines will open up allowing viewers to vote via SMS on their preferred ending to the show.

The most popular choice in each specific state will then air immediately after the programme at 22.30 in the form of an additional 10 minutes of programme footage.

While both Network Ten and Legion Interactive expressed excitement at the project, previous experiments in other countries offering alternative endings has failed to captures audiences' imaginations.

While interactivity has been successfully applied to genre such as reality and factual, drama has yet to witness a format that could truly lay the claim to having cracked it.

Now what does Law&Order do with the database of users that texted the show? Will they work with sponsors to offer free prizes?
Will they alert the user when the next season is about to air?

Think of the data they now have. They can determine what part of the country had the most impact. Reward these people for spending the time to text with what?

If advertisers are creative they integrate an ad with this SMS service. There are many ways you can keep the viewer from Tivo'ing thru your ad.

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