The publisher used Nellymoser and Microsoft Tag for the mobile campaign. To commemorate the brand?s 30th birthday, Shape ran an interactive sweepstakes and offered readers the opportunity to win close to 1,000 products throughout the issue.

American Media Inc. owns and operates the leading print and digital celebrity and health and fitness media brands in the United States. AMI's titles include Star, OK!, National Enquirer, Globe, Country Weekly, Soap Opera Digest, Soap Opera Weekly, Pixie, Shape, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health.

Mobile prizes
The mobile campaign let readers scan-to-win items such as an exercise bike or mascara.

The culmination of the sweepstakes was a grand prize trip to Aruba. 

Each time a reader scanned an in-book code, their chances of winning the getaway to a luxurious resort were increased, per Shape. 

The campaign featured products selected by Shape editors.

Additionally, the products were advertised throughout the issue.

Users were encouraged to participate in the mobile campaign by downloading the Microsoft tag reader application and scanning the sweepstakes logo on select pages of the issue. 

According to shape, the initiative was impactful, especially to its advertisers because of the value of the extended interaction with the reader, as well as opportunities to follow-up with sweepstakes entrants. 

Increased use
Mobile bar codes are all the rage.

Nowadays, publishers are increasingly putting mobile bar codes on its pages.

Shape is not the only publication using Microsoft Tags.

Earlier this year, Conde Nast?s Allure magazine used Microsoft Tags again after the success of last year?s program, which generated 444,572 scans.

The publication used the mobile bar codes throughout its August issue (see story).

An initiative such as this helps publishers engage their readers and give them something beyond a static page.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York