Meet the Client

Based in Bellevue, WA, T-Mobile USA, Inc. is a member of the T-Mobile International group, the mobile telecommunications subsidiary of Deutshce Telekom AG (NYSE: DT).  T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect effortlessly to those who matter most. T-Mobile USA’s voice and data network, when combined with roaming and other agreements, reaches almost 277 million people in the U.S.  In addition, T-Mobile operates the largest carrier-owned Wi-Fi wireless broadband network in the country, available in more then 8,200 convenient public access locations nationwide.

The Challenge

T-Mobile wanted to break through the current advertising noise and introduce its new Fave 5 service plans via “Street-level” cross-promotions in addition to its traditional advertising methods. The idea was to engage the targeted consumers directly by involving them in the Fave 5 selection process for an opportunity to win valuable prizes from its co-marketing partners, Sony, Samsung, and the National Basketball Association.  The result was an innovative campaign utilizing basketball-focused events staged at numerous malls and NBA arenas throughout the country.

The Solution

Livewire was engaged to create a custom solution that allowed consumers to enter into a basketball shooting competition where the winner would have a chance of winning one of several giveaways (including a PlayStation 3, NBA ’07 video game, Samsung phone, and NBA jerseys).  The solution consisted of a wireless network of four IGM Anyplace kiosks (housed within large basketball-like enclosures) integrated with a central control computer (housed in a 10-foot high Samsung cell phone) and four remote display controllers.  Data entered by consumers via the kiosks was stored in a database on the central control computer.  Web service technology provided distributed control of the display computers to drive digital signage mounted on shoot-to-win basketball games and interaction with the 42″ plasma display enclosed within the Samsung cell phone used to announce the game winner and initiate a “spin-to-win”giveaway.

Livewire, utilizing Microsoft’s .NET Framework, created software that enabled participants to enter their contact information into the kiosk and choose avatars representing themselves and their Fave 5.  These avatars were then displayed on the screens above four basketball games while players competed to make the most baskets during a 30-second countdown.  At the completion of the game, an NBA-like ticket would be printed for each player showing their Fave 5 avatars with additional information and offerings from T-Mobile.  The winners’ avatars were then displayed on the cell phone and the player would push a button causing their avatars to spin until their randomly selected prize was displayed.

Three complete systems were dispatched simultaneously to begin the campaign in Newark, Chicago, and Seattle.  The systems were then broken down, transported, and re-installed at various malls and NBA arenas throughout the U.S.  When complete, the campaign had achieved its planned marketing ROI with 30,690 games being played in 32 locations and the promotion being viewed by over 1.1 million people.