DoCoMo “Play! Prime” branded online world

Written by: Michael Keferl on March 10, 2009 at 12:13 am | In DIGITAL LIFE, MARKETING IDEAS | 1 Comment

Mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo just began a new online promotion where they created a branded miniature virtual world for users to compete for prizes by playing mini-games.

“Play! Prime” allows visitors to pick from many different characters and wander the town in search of others to compete against. Each player begins alone, but can win followers by beating other players in the world at a variety of mini games.

After competing, the winner takes the followers of the loser, with the ability to get up to 100 followers within the allotted 300 seconds and 5 games. Top-ranked players get listed and, inevitably, end up trying to beat their previous scores as with any addictive online game.

Those who win all five games can enter their personal details to win a DoCoMo Prime Series phone, and everyone who finishes can download a free screensaver. Additional free mobile phone content is available by scanning the provided QR code, but is only available to current DoCoMo handset users.

Trend Potential
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Tags: Docomo, gaming, Mobile, QR Codes
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Individual avatars for Docomo mobile deco mails

Written by: Rebecca Milner on October 27, 2008 at 11:51 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION | No Comments

If you were to introduce Japan’s three major mobile phone providers by their key points, it would go as follows: Softbank has the cheap talking plans (and the iPhone), AU has the cutting-edge designer phones, and Docomo has the cool mail features. It is the “Deco Mail” feature on Docomo, the ability to create elaborate flash animated text messages, that makes the carrier a hit among the school girl set.

Thanks to contents creator Cybird, Deco Mail is about to get even cooler. This week Cybird announced the launch of Portrait Deco Ani (“ani” being short for animation), a service that allows users to create a digital portrait of themselves, which can appear in a variety of different text message templates compatible with the latest Docomo phones.

Subscribers to the ¥315 (about $3) a month service first design their animated likeness by manipulating facial details such as eyes, skin tone, and hair—according to Cybird there are over 14 billion possible combinations.

Then, for each mail, users can choose a costume and pose, which is really an elaborate form of the emoticon.

Finally a background, from famous sites and seasonal settings to special occasions, like happy birthday, themes, is selected. It is also possible to create a number of characters, such as of friends or family members, and place them together in the same mail.

If you have been following these pages, you’re likely to reach the conclusion that the average school girl has any number of avatars out there on the web—from their StyleWalker doll to their LaForet blog parts. Far from a fad, these individualized characters are becoming the norm as a generation of girls learns (and has likely quickly become accustomed) to portray their individual style through digitized doppelgangers.

Tags: Avatars, Deco Mail, Docomo, Mobile phones
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Long-distance romance RPG for mobiles

Written by: Rebecca Milner on June 24, 2008 at 1:42 am | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION | 4 Comments

Softbank has announced that a long-distance romance role-playing game for mobile phones, called, amusingly, the “Marginal Prince” from Serendipity will be available this month for users of the latest phone models. The game has become immensely popular since it was released exclusively on Docomo a few years ago.

What exactly is a long distance romance role-playing game, you ask? Here is the premise: Your little brother Youta is studying abroad at a mysterious all-boys academy, St. Alphonso, on the remote and secluded foreign island of the same name. Youta happens to be the only boy at school with a mobile phone (the most high-tech Japanese mobile equipped with one-seg TV capability no less) which makes him very popular with his classmates who are eager to talk to people from the outside world, especially you, most likely a teenage or 20-something girl.

As you, the user, navigate the game, Youta introduces you to these “Marginal Princes,” and if you find one to your liking you can engage in a more romantic conversation, with the goal of acquiring love points in the form of letters or love songs.

If you can think of a better way to while away your morning commute or the wait at the doctor’s office, we’d like to hear about it.

Tags: Docomo, Mobile, RPGs, Softbank
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

DoCoMo goes girly with Samantha Thavasa handsets

Written by: Rebecca Milner on June 15, 2008 at 11:22 pm | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS | 1 Comment

While many Softbank users were certainly pleased with Apple’s highly anticipated decision to release the iPhone on their chosen carrier, there are also a number of users who will be disappointed to learn that the Samantha Thavasa New York limited edition “Pink Diamond” phone will be released exclusively on Docomo.

Samantha Thavasa is a hugely popular domestic accessories brand (don’t let the western name and “New York” fool you) aimed at young women that has been hawked by some of the most famous international celebrities, from Paris Hilton to Victoria Beckham to Penelope Cruz. Even socialite Tinsley Mortimer has a line. The “New York” brand is supposedly the more edgy and urban of the line-up.

Apple may be a global name, but among young female shoppers it has nothing on Samantha’s 130 points of sale across the country. Meanwhile CEO Kazumasa Terada is a business world legend in Japan for creating the Samantha empire, which now includes 10 brands, from nothing in 1994.

The Samantha Thavasa NY phone, in addition to being pink, has a heart motif that extends to the buttons, alert lights, and even the original Samantha Thavasa phone strap.

The wall paper, which is programed to change monthly, also features original Samantha Thavasa designs.

The “pink diamond” is part of Docomo’s N906 Foma series, which features One Seg television capability, a 3.2 mega pixel camera, and plenty of bandwidth for, naturally, shopping for the latest Samantha Thavasa products online.

Available from June 13, this shiny little thing sets back fashionable 20-somethings a cool ¥59,430 ($600).

Tags: Docomo, Fashion, Mobile, Samantha Thavasa
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Mobile industry targets greying market

Written by: Rebecca Milner on May 28, 2008 at 7:40 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION | No Comments

Since mobile phone providers in Japan tend to have music downloading services, many phones double as portable music players. But don’t assume that everyone is listening to the latest pop songs. Mobile contents provider Radio Days has just announced that they will offer downloads of traditional Rakugo story telling, as performed by famous story-tellers.

Rakugo is form of comic solo performance that was popularized during the Edo period. While it would seem that Radio Days is after older users nostalgic for a more traditional Japan, there is a segment of the younger generation that is picking up an interest in these bygone forms of entertainment. And surely the best way to reach them would be through their mobile phones.

That is not to say, however, that the mobile industry isn’t going out of its way to target older users. NTT Docomo announced the release of the Raku Raku Phone Basic S, specifically intended for Japan’s graying market.

In addition to basic mail and call functions, the phone has some pretty neat features like voice activated address book, a large selection of situation specific mail templates, and, oddly enough, a built in pedometer.

The promotional campaign for the Raku Raku Phone (¥28,560), which means “easy easy” phone, is planned to coincide with Fathers’ Day.

Tags: Aging Society, Docomo, Mobile, RakuRaku
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS