CBS Taps Apptera to Mobilize Viewers for the New Murder Mystery Series, 'Harper's Island'.

Apr 08, 2009: Interactive Mobile Campaign Utilizes Apptera's Voice and Visual Ad Platforms

CBS and Apptera, the voice in mobile advertising, have partnered to use Apptera's award-winning MobileAd Xchange, via Moviefone and MovieTickets.com, to promote CBS's upcoming 13-episode murder mystery event, "Harper's Island," which premieres Thursday, April 9.

Under the interactive program, consumers who call Moviefone (777-FILM) or MovieTickets.com (1-877-789-MOVIE) for show time information and/or advance ticket purchases for thematically related movies are served audio ads promoting the series. Additionally, callers dialing from mobile devices can opt-in to receive weekly Buzzz Alerts(TM), which are SMS text reminders designed to engage fans and mobilize tune-in to "Harpers Island" throughout the 13-week run of the series. An example of an audio ad follows:

If you like "Watchmen" [eerie sounds] you're gonna love "Harper's Island."
13 weeks, 25 suspects, 1 killer. (Woman screams!)
This special mystery television event premieres on April 9th, only on CBS. 
To get a text message and more info before each episode, press 9 now.

"We're thrilled that Apptera's mobile ad platform is not only enabling us to reach hundreds of thousands of targeted audience members prior to the ‘Harper's Island' premiere - but is also giving us the opportunity to further engage viewers via their mobile devices during the 13-week run of this unique murder mystery event," said George Schweitzer, President, CBS Marketing Group.

CBS is also targeting callers to the HeyCosmo Blaster service, a social planning tool which is in Apptera's new mobile generation channel. The 13 weekly Buzzz Alerts will remind callers to tune-in Thursdays at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. Central) on CBS and provide killer details about the show. Users may opt out of remaining Buzzz Alerts any time.

"By understanding millions of callers' affinities for particular movies, Apptera is enabling CBS to target and customize their message precisely to an audience most likely to be interested in ‘Harper's Island,'" said Henry Vogel, Apptera's CEO. "CBS's contextually relevant messages will be heard by their entertainment-oriented, young and mobile target audience. Our Buzzz Alerts also enable CBS and the producers of Harper's Island to regularly connect with their viewers throughout its 13-week run and potentially beyond."

"Harper's Island" is a 13-episode murder mystery about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding. It premieres Thursday, April 9 (10-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. They've come to laugh... to love... and, though they don't know it... to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

About Apptera
Apptera powers the world's leading voice and visual mobile ad network, generating revenue for leading players in the entertainment, communications, social media, financial services, retail and other industries.  Apptera has won six major industry honors in the past sixteen months including the 2008 OnMedia-100 "Mobile Advertising" category winner and the 2008 Summit "Emerging Media Visionary Award" for mobile marketing. Apptera's MobileAd Xchange delivers relevant voice advertisements in-call as well as follow-on visual components, such as SMS messages and MMS coupons. Members of the Mobile Ad Xchange and customers of Apptera's technology include AOL's Moviefone, MovieTickets.com, AT&T's 1-800-YellowPages, Bank of America, SaveMart supermarkets, RadioShack, GSI Commerce, HeyCosmo's Blaster social planning service and many others.  Privately funded by leading venture capital firms including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alloy Ventures and Walden International, Apptera has a presence in San Bruno, CA, Hollywood, and New York City. For additional information, visit www.apptera.com.


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Apptera, the Apptera logo, Apptera MobileAd Xchange and Buzzz Alerts are registered trademarks, service marks or trademarks in the United States and/or in other countries. All other company names, product names, brands, or trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

Apptera PR Contact:


January Machold, Blanc & Otus


(415)856-5127 / jmachold@blancandotus.com