Nokia Antakshari moves from TV to mobile

The game is available on the RockeTalk application, which allows a number of users to participate in the game simultaneously.

Taking the mobile medium for advertising one step ahead from the regular ones, Nokia has partnered with RockeTalk, a mobile social networking application, and Maxus India to launch Nokia Mobile Antakshari, a unique audio game show.

The game works on RockeTalk application and allows a number of users to participate simultaneously in Nokia Antakshari using their mobiles. To participate, one has to download the application first, wherein various banners run on it. The user needs to click on the banners and immediately gets an audio message in the inbox. After listening to the audio message, the user is required to sing a song with the last word of the previous song. The song gets to the community and gets propagated through banners.

The application is supported on most phones that are GPRS-enabled, including both Nokia feature phones and Nokia smartphones.

The campaign highlights how mobile can be monetised, indicating the mobile marketers to go beyond the connect of TV, towards a connect between brands and users that only a social media app can do.

In an official communiqué, Viral Oza, director, marketing, Nokia India elaborates on Nokia's innovative effort to bring India's most loved game, Antakshari, on the mobile platform. He says, "Nokia has been synonymous with digital music in this country. We have pioneered many initiatives in this space starting with pre-installed music, launch of music albums on mobile phones, Nokia Music Unlimited and now Mix Radio for our Lumia smartphones. Mobile Antakshari is an interesting concept and provided us with the perfect fit to connect consumers with Nokia Asha smartphones. Nokia Mobile Antakshari will enable millions of music lovers across the country to engage with their favourite game."

RockeTalk, which has designed and hosts the game, is a mobile social network where primary user interactions happen using voice and video. The RockeTalk app also allows multiple innovative promotional tools, ranging from audio-enabled banners to multimedia broadcasts and free programme subscriptions.

"These days, when most social platforms offer nothing more significant than banners, likes and posts, RockeTalk differentiates itself by creating customised engagement solutions, branded social programming and multimedia activities. The Nokia Mobile Antakshari is just one such example, albeit something we believe will be a trendsetter," says Sameer Agarwal, chief marketing officer, RockeTalk.

Unny Radhakrishnan, national director, digital, Maxus India, says, "At a time when digital marketing is growing more aggressive on 'social' presence of brands, this signals an interesting shift towards social media engagement, where Maxus India, Nokia and RockeTalk are breaking new grounds with Nokia Mobile Antakshari."