Japanese Virtual Idol Singer Enlisted to Promote Cellphone Recycling

Photo courtesy of PIAPRO

Japan's Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) teamed up with popular virtual idol singing character Hatsune Miku earlier this year to promote its cellphone recycling campaign, dubbed "Tansu Keitai Atsumetai?(^o^) /," meaning "Let's Collect End-of-Life Cellphones," making METI the first Japanese government agency to collaborate with the virtual idol.

The promotion, carried out in partnership with Crypton Future Media Inc. -- the vocaloid software developer that made the creation of the Hatsune Miku character possible -- was part of the advertising campaign to promote METI's cellphone recycling program, which was held between November 21, 2009 and February 28, 2010, with the aim of raising awareness and prompting an increase in cellphone recycling.

The first phase of the promotion featured Hatsune Miku's "Tansu Keitai Song" (Old Cellphone Abandoned in a Drawer), which was available for download from the campaign website from December 25, 2009. (The official website was closed as of June 2010.) The public was also invited to submit illustrations of Hatsune Miku advertising cellphone recycling. Among the entries received between December 25, 2009, and January 18, 2010, outstanding illustrations were chosen and posted on METI's video site and the campaign website PIAPRO, as well as utilized in other PR activities.

METI expected the promotion to boost public awareness of the need to save used cellphones and further boost recycling volume.

METI Provides Gift Voucher Incentive to Promote Mobile Phone Recycling (Related JFS article)
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Posted: 2010/06/20 06:00:15 AM