• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, July 9, 2008

Sony Ericsson wants consumers to think purple, as in the latest color available for its Z750a cellular phone.

Sony Ericsson's movement to evangelize the color features an online marketing campaign and a sweepstakes that runs through Aug 4. The contest gives consumers a chance to enter and win a Z750a, or the grand prize, a pair of designer shoes worth $600.

To enter, consumers must take pictures or shoot videos of something purple and add them to their favorite social networking site. By submitting the link to BringingPurpleBack.com, they can also have their content posted on the manufacturer's Web site.

Print ads began running June 27 in Us Weekly that will likely tie in with Fashion Week in September, according to Stacy Doster, marketing communications manager for Sony Ericsson North America. "We have a couple of homepage takeovers, too," she says. "The next homepage takeover on Us Weekly is July 16. We're painting the side of the site purple."

Consumers also can become friends and fans of "purple" at the newly launched Facebook page.

Trend specialist Caroline Johnson calls the color choice "brilliant" because the niche hue often appeals to more adventurous people. Blue and green, which have a broader appeal, are mainstream colors, but purple attracts iconic and classic people, youthful, fashion-forward thinkers and trendsetters, she says. "If you want to attract a new audience to a product, purple is nearly perfect," says Johnson. "It's very on trend, of the moment, and fashionable. We are in a purple phase."

The challenge is not committing to one color, she says. Cellular phones have become very personal, but few manufacturers make a strong design statement or leverage color to market products. When Apple released the iPhone the appeal demonstrated the need for something more exciting and a willingness of consumers willing to pay for it, according to Johnson.

Aside from purple, consumers can purchase the Sony Ericsson Z750a in Phantom Grey and Rose Pink, too. It's available exclusively through AT&T Mobility, features multimedia player, 2.0 megapixel camera mirrored clamshell design, high-speed Internet access, browser and e-mail.