Breaks during coverage of sporting events such as motor racing can try the patience of even the most devoted fan.
The challenge for most TV networks during these breaks is to hold the attention of their viewers between breaks.
The ‘Holden v Ford SMS Showdown’, promoted during Network Ten’s coverage of the Bathurst 1000 race, illustrated the way a mobile competition can be both an opportunity to involve viewers at home and at the event, as well as involving consumers in interaction with brands.
The SMS Showdown asked viewers to compete in a trivia challenge for either Holden or Ford—exploiting the extremely partisan nature of the viewers of the Bathurst 1000 race.
The campaign yielded one million SMS messages in the 30 hours of the telecast, making it the most interacted with broadcast on Australian television. In addition 2.9% of the average audience interacted with the program using SMS.
The Bathurst SMS Showdown was voted by the judges as the Best Interactive TV campaign and Out-of-Home campaign because it demonstrated the deep connection SMS allows viewers to have with an event at home, or at the event.
