• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, November 23, 2009

Teaser campaigns for Verizon's DROID Smartphone listed actions the iPhone is unable to provide, but possible via DROID.

Verizon Wireless took to the streets of New York City, Times Square, to be exact, to promote DROID's built-in location-based voice-search feature by giving passersby control of two digital out-of-home billboards: Thomson Reuters and Nasdaq.

"Passersby call a toll-free number that connects them to a call center-like application and it tells them what to expect when interacting with the signs, along with instructions that she/he will receive a call back," said Andy Sung, managing director, production at R/GA. "After callback, the participant can do one of two things: Speak a search term and watch as the result is displayed on a Google map on the Nasdaq sign, or speak a secret code that displays a spectacular animation on the signs."

During limited daytime and evening hours through Nov. 20, users could call 1-888-376-4336 and search for info on New York City stores, restaurants, movies or plays. Instant results could be found online at www.droiddoes.com/timessquare.

Those in Times Square could see their search results displayed on the Nasdaq sign via Google Maps.

Once a call was completed, users received an SMS message directing them to the nearest Verizon Wireless store, where DROIDs can be bought.

DROID will do Times Squares once again on Black Friday (Nov. 27) when both signs will be live from 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m.

The campaign also provides users with another way to vocally interact with the billboards.

These secret codes, or Easter Eggs, were built into the backend of the software and allowed lucky finders to create speeding subway trains, color splashes or turn the signs on and off.

The campaign took R/GA six weeks to produce, create and develop the software. The agency also handled the media buy.

"When R/GA partnered with Verizon Wireless, we wanted to think beyond touch- and mouse-controlled interfaces (like those on phone keypads and computers) and instead create a one-of-a-kind experience that would be controlled solely and entirely by voice," said Jeff Schulz, creative director, R/GA. "Overall, the voice-activated experience serves as a large-scale simulation of DROID's built-in voice-search feature, which is unique to Android devices," he noted.