UIP Build On Successful Browser Strategy with SpongeBob SquarePants Ooqa-Ooqa™

This week, United Virtualities launch an Ooqa-OoqaTM branded browser campaign for SpongeBob SquarePants, the new animated movie from United International Pictures (UIP). The campaign will run for a week on www.citv.co.uk and follows several successful branded browser campaigns from UIP using Ooqa-Ooqa TM technology – its fourth targeting kids. The SpongeBob SquarePants campaign is part of a 12-month, global deal between rich media technology company United Virtualities and UIP International.

Martin Wright, European head of sales and business development at United Virtualities, comments, “The three previous UIP campaigns on citv.co.uk, (Thunderbirds, Shark Tale and Lemony Snicket – planned and bought by Zed UK), have each performed strongly in all respects, averaging over five minutes exposure per unique user, with almost one in two users interacting with the brand and only 1% of all units closed.”

The SpongeBob SquarePants Ooqa-OoqaTM offers an unobtrusive yet impactful dimension to the brand’s online presence. On entering www.citv.co.uk, the visitor’s browser assumes the SpongeBob SquarePants branding, featuring the principal characters from the movie. In addition to the user’s standard browser buttons (back, forward, refresh, home etc.), the Ooqa-OoqaTM provides extra branded functionalities, including the ability to view the movie trailer, a link to the SpongeBob SquarePants website and a clickable signpost, which launches an animated promotion inside the browser.

Wright explains that there is a simple reason for such impressive results and acceptance among kids: ”Ooqa-OoqaTM transforms a dull grey part of their screen into something more inviting. Kids love colour, animation and exploring new things. By infusing the browser with their favourite characters, Ooqa-OoqaTM provides them with access to richer content and additional interactive elements. For kids, the choice is obvious: a boring functional toolbar or a fresh, fun addition to their screen.”

Worldwide results from Ooqa-OoqaTM campaigns during the last six months, from the UK to China, show that users readily accept this new branded browser technology. Whilst users have the option to close and return to their standard browser, 97% of launched Ooqa-OoqaTM browsers have been maintained during the user session.

SpongeBob SquarePants is released by UIP in the UK on 11th February.

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Editor’s notes

About United Virtualities
United Virtualities is the leading provider of innovative, advanced online advertising and communication technology for marketers, their agencies and web publishers. It offers a variety of rich media platforms that are user-friendly and require no downloads to launch and play. Organisations around the world use United Virtualities' rich-media technologies, enabling them to leverage dynamic, vibrant web creative in the most distinctive ways imaginable.

United Virtualities is best known as the originator of beyond-the-banner advertising with ShoshkeleTM, one of the most successful and scalable rich-media platforms in the industry. UV continues to re-invest heavily in R&D to create and rapidly deploy new online marketing solutions that anticipate and exceed clients’ requirements. The company devotes 20% of its entire workforce to Quality Assurance in the process of providing the best customer service in the online advertising industry.

www.unitedvirtualities.com

Contact

Anna Vickerstaff
0845 408 2031
pressoffice@immediatefuture.co.uk