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Sony Pictures partners with Pandora to promote upcoming film

Sony Pictures is continuing its push into the mobile space with a new mobile campaign that includes mobile advertising, a branded radio station and a giveaway.

The company has partnered with Pandora on the initiative. Sony has ran mobile ads in the past to drive awareness for its films, and ultimately increase ticket sales.

"It is important to note that Pandora has been integrating into Sony entertainment devices for a while now - car radios with touchscreens, Blu-ray players, game machines," said Marci Troutman, CEO of SiteMinis. 

"It seems natural for Sony to work to develop exclusive channels/ stations for delivery of their catalog," she said.

Ms. Troutman is not affiliated with Sony. She commented based on her expertise on the subject.

Sony did not respond to press inquiries. 

Instant gratification
Sony Pictures is running expandable mobile ads encouraging consumers to launch its Rekall Mix station ? a branded station that promotes the company?s ?Total Recall? film. 

When consumers tap on the mobile ad, they are redirected to the Rekall Mix station, which will be added to their playlist.

From there, consumers can enter an ongoing giveaway for a chance to win VIP access and sound check access to a show on Green Day?s upcoming Tour.

Users can enter the contest by either logging into their Facebook account or filling out a quick form with their basic information.

A campaign such as this is a great way to help Sony drive awareness for its upcoming film.

Additionally, by adding an incentive ? in this case VIP access to a Green Day show ? Sony is raising the bar and really connecting with consumers on a deeper level.

Movie fanatics
Last year, Sony Pictures drove sales for its ?Bad Teacher? film via mobile ads.

The company ran expandable mobile ad within Pandora?s iPhone application (see story).

Earlier this year, Sony continued to use mobile advertising to drive awareness for its film ?The Vow? and let movie enthusiasts buy tickets via their mobile device (see story).

Most recently, Sony rolled out a mobile ad campaign that aimed to increase the company?s ?21 Jump Street? ticket sales (see story).

"Controlling and managing content with exclusive stations through a dedicated app software like Pandora - especially with their unique listener recommendation algorithm - makes sense for both companies," Ms. Troutman said. 

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York