Smartone dances to new tunes

Hong Kong - Smartone-Vodafone has launched a stand-alone music platform called MusicXS and kicked off a marketing blitz to build the brand as a leading music service provider. 

MusicXS is based on a subscription model that allows customers to download unlimited tracks on their PCs and mobiles.

A marketing campaign to launch the service kicks off today, featuring graphic art images to position itself as part of the music scene in Hong Kong.

A key visual for the campaign is a giant robot made up of speakers that Neil Leslie, creative director for JWT, said portrays the underlying theme, which is "an expression of music taken to excess".

The campaign will not carry Smartone branding as the mobile company is aiming to expand MusicXS beyond Smartone's subscriber base.

Initiative Media has landed the business to manage media buying for the project.

Chris Skinner, managing partner for Initiative, said the integrated campaign will extend beyond traditional marketing channels to include engagement and experiential elements that he said will change music retailing in Hong Kong.