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Technology

WINNER
Slf-dstrct msgs no lngr 'Mssn Impssbl'
Staellium/Stealth Text
Chameleon PR

StealthText is a new text-messaging service that enables senders to punch in a 'self-destruct' code. Once opened by the recipient, the message disappears without trace in 40 seconds. With mobile add-on services launched on an almost weekly basis, Chameleon PR turned what could have been a tricky brief into success by completely reversing the rules for promoting a new niche technology product. Instead of using the traditional route of first grabbing specialist writers' attention and relying on them to drip-feed information to mainstream media, it bypassed them completely. The service was instead positioned to the consumer press as a 'must have' for 'celebrity love rats', and executives.

Chameleon achieved its splash by packaging the story around David Beckham, as someone who might have benefited from texts that self-destructed (around the time of the Rebecca Loos allegations).

The results of this campaign were immediate and impressive. There were 22 mentions in the dailies, including The Guardian G2's Last Word and Times 2's Pass Notes. At one point, a Google search on 'StealthText' produced 133,000 results and, by 2 June this year, more than 200 pieces of coverage had been tracked, leading the launch to be named as one of 2005's top ten tech stories by news site silicon.com.

The coverage generated 42 million opportunities to see. An AVE of £51,854 was achieved by the first 40 items of coverage alone - considerable for a campaign that had a budget of less than £10,000.

In terms of sign-up to the service, Staellium was 65 per cent over target in its first week and has continued to grow at above-target rates. A major mobile phone operator has also made an indirect approach to Staellium to rebrand StealthText and offer it to its subscribers. Paramount Studios approached Chameleon about a potential link-up with the film Mission Impossible: III. Even the Government expressed interest, with Staellium's managing director, Carole Barnum asked to speak at a conference on Homeland and Our Security in July.

HIGHLY COMMENDED
It's for you - Who! Tom Baker launched as 'Voice of BT Text'
BT Retail
Fishburn Hedges

Fishburn Hedges capitalised on the renaissance of former Dr Who Tom Baker's career by suggesting that he be the new voice of BT Text (which allows customers to send texts to landlines). Research showed he had the 'fourth most recognised voice' in Britain, so after 11 days' recording 11,000 sentences, FH took the media by storm. More than 400 articles appeared, while the volume of text messages rose by 530 per cent.

FINALISTS
Finds of the Year 2005
Yahoo! Search
Bite Communications

The Joy of X: Making Xbox 360 a pop culture phenomenon
Microsoft Xbox
The Red Consultancy

Fujitsu Siemens Computers - The Rise of the Green Collar Worker
Fujitsu Siemens Computers
Citigate Dewe Rogerson