Carling’s digital “iPint” – sensible, inventive mobile advertising.

Thanks to an article in Indy (Clare Beale’s “On Advertising”) I’ve seen and now downloaded the most excellent iPhone guerilla/game/viral advert. It’s the first ad I’ve seen that “works” on mobile: the Carling iPint.

The app appears on the iPhone desktop and upon launch you are given the task of sliding a ping of – er – Carling from one end of the bar to the other.

This uses the iPhone’s motion sensors to good effect, and so is a great example of device-specific planning.

Tipping too far and the pint falls and smashes…

Once delivered to your iMate’s hands you’re “rewarded” with a virtual pint of Carling.

There’s a neat animation as the whole screen ‘fills’ with Carling, and…

… the liquid ‘tips’ as you move the iphone as if to drink it.

Once you’ve drained your pint you can then play again or mail the app to a friend.

So, this combines device-specific savvy, humour appropriate to the laddish demographic (toys + kit + beer + joke + game = bingo) and a viral aspect.

All we need now for ad-based perfection is:

• location-awareness – “you’re next to a pub that’s pouring Carling now!”

• integration with ecommerce (send receive vouchers, iBeerPoints [tm] and such like.

I’ve not seen such a well formed ad approach since the Lynx/Axe “feather” campaign.

It’s good to see this level of innovation and fun in mobile marketing – augurs so much better than blatting gifs to passers-by via bluetooth!