Picture recognition is Bourne

Mobile picture recognition will be used in press ads for The Bourne Ultimatum movie.

Film studio Universal is using Magnet Harlequin’s ‘real world connection’ mobile technology to make its press ads digitally interactive in the UK. It’s the first such campaign. The half page ad will appear in national UK press from today. Readers take a photo of it and send it via MMS to 82222. They then get access to get free mobile content. It takes less than 60 seconds to get a response.

Magnet Harlequin’s algorithm technology automatically identifies the type of phone they have and then offers them the appropriate free content, optimised for their specific device.

Scott Seaborn, head of marketing technologies at Magnet Harlequin, said: “This is the first time that marketers have enabled print ads to allow consumers to interact with their brands in this way. The technology, with its real time delivery and reporting structure, could inspire a new generation of media analytics. Real world analytics systems give brands a true picture of which advertisements are working best for them, and where those ads are located geographically. 

The first two Bourne movies took $501 million at the box office. The Bourne Ultimatum has already taken $100m in the US box office.