Tesco pushes Fifa 13 with GPS-linked mobile activity

By Nick Batten, campaignlive.co.uk, Monday, 01 October 2012 10:20AM

Tesco has launched an interactive mobile ad for Fifa 13, the latest edition to EA Sport's video game series, which uses GPS and Google Streetview to target gamers within three kilometres of a store.

The smartphone ad asks customers to "flick the ball" and uses Google Streetview to show the football land somewhere near their location.

The app then displays a "buy now" link and directs the customer to the closest Tesco store that stocks the game.

A spokesperson for Initiative, the agency responsible for planning the campaign, said the ad is a UK media first and will "target people within three kilometres of a Tesco store where the game is for sale".

Karen Carter, advertising manager for Tesco Entertainment, said: "This is the first time we’ve used an ad of this kind but we think it’s the perfect way of reminding customers how easily they can pick up the new Fifa game from Tesco, either in person or online.

"The advert’s good fun and looks amazing. It will really resonate with gaming fans."

Britta Anderson, head of mobile for Initiative, said: "Mobile is the perfect vehicle for this type of highly-engaging, location-based functionality.

"Coupling this with find-my-nearest functionality is a highly effective way of influencing purchase behaviour when customers are close to purchase points."

The ads use technology created by mobile agency Mobile5 and will run across YOC's mobile network.

According to the Centre for Retail Research, UK consumers are expected to spend £4.5bn using mobile devices in 2012, a 53% increase on 2011.

This was £700m in 2010, representing a growth of 584% in two years. To date, 54.6% of people in the UK have a smartphone, while by 2016, 90% of mobiles in the UK will be smartphones.

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This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk