In September 2010, Facebook introduced Facebook Places to the UK. A location-based application for iPhones and mobile phones, Facebook Places allows users to check in at locations on their phones. When they do, Facebook automatically updates their status, which then appears on friends' news feeds. Users can also check to see if any of their friends are in the vicinity using the People Here Now function.

When MEC Interaction saw the new service, it decided to utilise it on a promotional campaign for client Lionsgate's upcoming movie Drive Angry 3D, says account director Susan Clarke. "We wanted to devise a mechanic that would encourage people to check out the trailer and go to the film. Facebook Places looked like the kind of service that would appeal to our target group."

Geek culture

That target group was fanboys, says Clarke. "The overall MEC campaign for Drive Angry 3D, which stars Nicolas Cage, is designed to reach the widest possible target audience. But our specific goal with the Facebook Places activity was to reach those passionate fans of geek culture who drive trends."

According to Clarke, "We wanted early adopters who are attracted to technological developments and spread the news about movies through social media platforms. The beauty of Facebook is that, although it is a mass market platform, you are able to target specific audiences this way."

Join the army

In terms of specifics, the MEC Interaction campaign (devised in partnership with production agency Imperial Leisure) is based around a competition which targets 18- to 35-year-old males. Running from January 7th-February 17th, it encourages users in major cities to check in to one of three designated places. Each place is defined as good, bad or beautiful, to reflect characters in the film. Users then join a character's army depending on which place they check in to.

All entrants receive a two-for-one, go-carting voucher as a way of enticing them to watch the trailer in a way that is thematically-linked to the film's content. Furthermore, users who belong to the largest army at the end of the competition are entered into a draw to win a trip to Las Vegas to go car racing.Clarke says it is too early to comment on results, "but it is proving valuable to get into this space before it becomes too busy. I think we're learning a lot about the potential of location-based activity - and not just for film marketing."