Sony Ericsson and 3 take to the streets with Facebook-based event

by Nadia Ghani, Brand Republic 06-Mar-09, 11:10

LONDON - Mobile brands Sony Ericsson and 3 will be running a Facebook-themed promotional event called 'Photo Envy Studio' this weekend, to mark the launch of the Sony Ericsson C51O phone which has a 3 Facebook application.

A pop-up photo studio will be set up at 3's store on Oxford Street, where Londoners are invited to recreate scenes from the life of the Sony Ericsson mascot Eric.

Eric is a cartoon character who has been created to represent the Sony Ericsson brand.

He is positioned as an adrenaline junkie who travels the world and constantly updates his Facebook status with information designed to make his friends jealous.

Visitors to the store will be invited to make their friends jealous by having the "perfect" picture taken.

Snaps will be perfected using Photoshop before being uploaded to their Facebook page. Alternatively they can recreate an "extreme" moment in Eric's life by choosing to have their image super-imposed on a sky diving, bungee jumping or snowboarding background.

A Photo Envy Team will be out on the streets of London, directing people to the store and placing 100 promotional cardboard cut-outs of Eric around the city.

The cut-outs will have a prize-winning hotline number. Those who call the hotline have the opportunity to win an "Eric-style status update".

Prizes include an extreme holiday, activity days and a range of mobile phones.

The event will be taking place in London this Saturday and will be running in Norwich, Leicester, Bristol and Manchester in the coming weeks.

Sony Ericsson and 3 mascot Eric entices visitors to Facebook