US Weekly Invites Never.no To Party

Thanks to mobile phone-to-video technology from never.no, guests at an US Weekly Hot Hollywood Summer Event in Chicago will be able to broadcast their thoughts and opinions via text message and see the results onscreen in real time.
US Weekly will roll out the red carpet for readers, trendsetters, tastemakers and advertisers in the Windy City on August 27.
While US Weekly's implementation of never.no's Interactivity Desk application is the first of its kind in the US, it has been used successfully for several Digital Out of Home (DOOH) events in Europe - including stadium shows, music festivals and television coverage of the Tour de France.
Lars Lauritzsen, never.no boss, said: "When it comes to enabling mobile phone and video to 'talk' to one another, never.no is the expert. US Weekly saw an innovative opportunity to use our DOOH technology to enliven its summer party by sparking conversation and fun - not to mention brand awareness."
The never.no mobile-to-video platform enables audience participation either by integrating the live video stream with user-submitted opinions and content, or by turning the phone keypad into an active interface for playing games or other interaction. The never.no system is flexible enough to integrate with standard TV, Web, IPTV, DOOH and mobile content.
At the US Weekly event, the magazine will create 10 thought-provoking questions that guests can answer via SMS/text message. In exchange, they will receive a sponsored return message. Meanwhile, the never.no Auto Dialogue System (ADS) will tabulate quest responses and broadcast the results onscreen at the party.
Lauritzsen said: "Almost everyone has a mobile phone. Our technology transforms that phone into a universal interface to interactive content - including TV, Web content and Flash games - allowing everyone to participate, anywhere. We anticipate that many businesses and organisations will follow US Weekly's lead and find innovative and exciting ways to take advantage of the technology."
Further information is available at: www.never.no.
(KMcA/BMcc)