UIP Pushes Thunderbirds With Branded Internet Browser

Film giant UIP has announced the first online campaign to promote summer blockbuster, Thunderbirds, employing United Virtualities’ Ooqa-Ooqa technology to replace viewers’ web browsers with branded alternatives.

The technology is used for the first time today as the campaign launches on www.citv.co.uk, with Ooqa-Ooqa replacing visitors’ normal browser toolbar with an advertiser branded browser.

The technology is designed to be non-intrusive, preserving all the normal functionality of the visitor’s browser, while providing enhanced functions such as a movie information, scrolling news or contextual links.

Commenting on the promotion Martin Wright, European head of sales and business development for United Virtualities said: “Ooqa-Ooqa is the first of its kind. It transforms the unexploited “dull, grey toolbar” above a publisher’s web page into new and valuable advertising or branding inventory. The partnership with UIP is the first global agreement for Ooqa-Ooqa and reflects the early enthusiasm among clients, agencies and publishers to this unique online marketing technology.”

Further Ooqa-Ooqa campaigns are scheduled by UIP for this Summer including promotions for forthcoming films: Chronicles of Riddick, Bourne Supremacy and Collateral, with all campaigns being adapted by United Virtualities for international deployment to local markets.

Last month saw UIP strike a deal with outdoor advertiser, ScreenFX. The deal brought trailers for the movie company’s latest releases out of the cinema and into shopping malls through ScreenFX’s network of giant plasma screens (see ScreenFX Takes Film Trailers Out Of The Cinema).

UIP: 020 8741 9041 www.uip.com

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