Jun 22 2012
Emakina’s Bavaria Babes smartphone app lets football fans become “international players” by collecting pictures of themselves with attractive women. Football never looked prettier.
Emakina created a new Bavaria app that encourages football fans to collect images of themselves posing next to scantily clad women, through a new free smartphone app on Android and Apple iOS. The Bavaria Babes App, a promotion for the European 2012 Football Championship, offers admirers of the beautiful game a contemporary version of collecting football cards – the chance to mock up pictures with a team of 11 beautiful women
The Dutch beer company’s promotion uses the latest technology and social media networks, and was created by European digital agency Emakina. People download a special app for their smartphones and are then challenged to “unlock the team of European Bavaria babes and take pictures with them to prove your international player status.
One woman – Laurine, who represents Spain, where they “eat, sleep and drink football” – is included with the download. There are three images of her which can be moved from left to right, enlarged or reduced, and combined with a picture which is then taken on the smartphone. This image is automatically stored on the “player’s” phone, and can be uploaded to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.
The other 10 women represent most of the nations playing in Euro 2012 and can be “unlocked” by scanning QR codes hidden on Bavaria beer and the Bavaria social media pages. There is an element of football devilry, since tackling one woman might require others to be “scored” first, like a row of defenders.
Tim Wolfs, Head of Interactive at Emakina, says : “Bavaria was looking for a way to get visibility in a fun way during the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine 2012. “As soccer fans, we were inspired by the stunt with the Bavaria babes during the World Championship in South Africa.
Secondly, we wanted to make use of technology that allows you to make funny pictures with Bavaria elements integrated. Last but not least, as little boys, we had a lot of fun by collecting the Panini stickers of the soccer players. Combining the babes with new technology, the little boy fun of collecting, and the beer brand Bavaria, we’ve scored a winner with the Bavaria Babes App: the gadget for the EC 2012. We have already had a lot of fun making this app, and we are looking forward to the reaction of the soccer fans.”
Daniel Janus, Global Internet Manager at Bavaria who came up with the initial idea of the app, says the lighthearted app is being launched in the Balkan countries, the UK and Australia: “We wanted to try new techniques to see if we could adapt them for a bigger event. This is a fun app – there’s no need to buy products. It is just to engage customers with Bavaria.
“We are known for our ‘babes’, but always in a way that isn’t offensive towards others. It’s a thin line, but we try not to cross it by being vulgar. We use Bavaria babes to promote parties in the Balkans, and they are friendly, well-spoken and classy.”
Laurine Meyers, 25, a full time model from Antwerp, and a Holland supporter, said that the experience of being “unlocked” by hundreds of Bavaria drinkers, could certainly add some spice to her internet profile if the pictures are posted. “I’m not sure what my father would think of the variety of young gentlemen I appear to be photographed with, but it’s a lot of fun and in the spirit of friendly football.”
