Department store giant Bloomingdale?s is using mobile for its fall fashion campaign ? Lights, Camera, Fashion ? and adding an element of interactivity to engage with customers in a new way.

Three to five minute films that were shot and produced entirely in New York over the course of 15 days will be shown in all Bloomingdale?s stores and on the Bloomingdales.com Web site. Shoppers will then have the opportunity to vote for their favorite BFlix film via SMS or Bloomingdales.com.

?We chose SMS voting for the customers who would see the films in the stores,? said Anne Bridges, senior vice president for Bloomingdales.com. ?We needed to be able to accommodate the various ways in which customers would see the films to make voting convenient in all cases.?

KaOoga Mobile powers the mobile component for Bloomingdale's, the upscale department store chain that is part of Macy's Inc.

Consumers who vote are actually added to an opt-in database of names. Bloomingdale's can then use the list for future marketing.

Once the votes are tallied, the winning director will receive a trip to Film Independent?s nationally televised Spirit Awards in Los Angeles, which is said to be the indie film industry?s biggest night of the year.

While Bloomingdale's made itself available to aid in the production of the shorts, the films are not about shopping or about the retailer, though subtle nods to the store appear in each.

Having the mobile text-to-vote option added to the short trailers in the viewing lounge at Bloomingdale?s locations allows customers to instantly interact with the video monitors.

By voting for best video, customers are helping send a director to the awards show.

In the same vein, Bloomingdale?s launched Facebook and Twitter pages to engage its customers in an interactive way. 

Mobile kayoes
The SMS and social media pushes are meant to offer something more to customers in addition to traditional print marketing.

?Overall, it is wonderful to be associated with a prestigious brand such as Bloomingdale?s and we are honored to have the chance to service them,? said Dave Everett, CEO of KaOoga, Newton, MA.

?Every day you read in Mobile Marketer about a new retailer taking the leap of faith into the mobile space and this program is simply another example of the power of mobile,? he said. 

Bloomingdale?s? first foray into mobile was during its Girls' Night Out campaign in August.

The campaign centered around 19 up-and-coming actresses performing a screen test for director Jennifer Venditti.

The girls were filmed and photographed in Bloomingdale?s? contemporary fashions. The results became its contemporary sportswear catalog and two short films which were screened at Bloomingdale?s.com and in stores.

That effort let customers vote for their favorite of the 19 girls via SMS or online via a special microsite.

?The mobile space is exploding and it?s been both exciting and interesting to watch how consumers are interacting with us and even purchasing from their phone,? Ms. Bridges said. ?We?re exploring additional opportunities to reach the mobile consumer and ways to incorporate mobile into our online marketing mix.?