To play up the multimedia features of the new Nokia N8 smartphone—which include a 12-megapixel camera, HD video recording with Dolby surround sound, and the Ovi Maps navigation system—the cellular company partnered with Bang & Olufsen to host a launch party inspired by the upcoming film Tron: Legacy for 100 guests at the Avenue Road retail outlet on Wednesday.
Matt Lewis, director of client services with GMR Marketing, planned the event. "The big thing about this product is it's all about multimedia," Lewis said. "It is the best camera phone in the world, and it comes with HD video. We thought, let's focus on a theme and pick a venue where we can use their assets to showcase the product. Bang & Olufsen is a premium brand, it fits Nokia's style, and it's all about audiovisual. Plus, you don't go to a party here every day."
For the evening's theme, GMR chose to install neon lighting throughout the space, a nod to the Disney film. "Nokia has entered into a partnership with Disney and Tron," Lewis said. Event organizers broadcast the trailer for the film from a Nokia N8 onto Bang & Olufsen's 103-inch plasma screen during the party. (The N8 comes equipped with an HDMI cable allowing for hookup to an HDTV.)
"The whole experience revolved around the N8. When you walked in the door, you registered on the device and you were entered into a contest—we gave away N8s throughout the evening," Lewis said. "And the store was set up so people could go around and check out the mapping, social networking, and gaming on the phone."
Guests had the chance to use the touch-screen smartphone to view live feeds from Facebook and Twitter, play video games, and test out the global Ovi Maps navigation system. Attendees could also watch The Commuter, a seven-minute film starring Dev Patel and Pamela Anderson—shot entirely on the N8—in an upper-level media lounge.
