Adverblog on two innovative ringtones campaigns

Adverblog on two innovative campaigns where ringtones are used.

First one is "Ringtowns", from Ogilvy Guatemala and their client Claro, using ringtones as a device of spreading the service itself, naming them after all the cities in the country (click the image to see the video explaining the case):

The other one is "Os Ringtonicos" ("The Ringtonics"), from Almap BBDO for an NGO called "Casa do Zezinho", whose kids recorded ringtones using their voices to raise money for buying musical instruments:

Watch videos.

Ringback tone to raise money for Children in Need 2010

Muzicall, Europe’s leading provider of ringback tone (RBT) services has partnered with several UK mobile operators, media companies and mobile advertising networks to produce and promote a special charity ringback tone for BBC Children in Need 2010.

Mobile Users with participating operators will be able to support BBC Children in Need by purchasing the ringback tone which will be sold from £2.50. 100% of the revenue generated (Excluding VAT) will be donated to BBC Children in Need by participating mobile operators.

In their own words:

We’ve produced a special tone from Voiceover Man who your callers will instantly recognise from The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. Purchase this special charity Ringtagz and we’ll give 100% of your donation (ex VAT) to BBC Children in Need to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people right here in the UK. By playing this message to your callers, you’ll be showing your support for the charity as well as letting them know how they can donate money.

e-mail press release.

Other fund raising ringtones.

Happy Birthday Mobile Project

The Japan Committee for UNICEF has organized a charity project to raise funds via mobile music downloads.

NTT Communications announced that its online music store, Music Ocean, is participating in “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOWNLOAD for children,” through which musicians, recording companies and music retailers are donating money to improve the quality of life for impoverished children around the world.

People can visit a special web page created by MUSICO to download a recording of Happy Birthday to You as a ringtone for their mobile phones. Each day the site offers a new version of the song recorded by a different participating artist. Customers pay 105 yen per download, which MUSICO donates to UNICEF after deducting 5% Japanese consumption tax and the commission owed to the customer’s mobile phone carrier. Starting today, customers can give friends the ringtones as thoughtful presents.

The idea behind the project is to help more children celebrate birthdays. Of the children who die before age five every year, the largest group - some six million children - never even reach their first birthday.

Full press release via Wieless Watch.

Apple iPhone ringtones to benefit impoverished children of Nepal

iRing Pro, a maker of Apple iPhone ringtones, has announced that a portion of every Apple iPhone ringtone sale will benefit Children of Nepal, an organisation that provides education, meals and medical care, to impoverished Nepali children.

Children of Nepal, is an organisation that provides a culturally appropriate Steiner education, along with meals and medical care, to underprivileged Nepali children, among the poorest in the world.

[via MacWorld]

Night bird ringtones for Halloween

A company is offering spooky wildlife ringtones to support conservation efforts by donating ten percent to non-profit conservation group American Forests.

"Conservation Calling is featuring spooky nature sounds from their collection of wildlife and bird ringtones that are especially suitable for the night of fright, with each creepy download benefiting wildlife habitat.

Eerie loons and barn owls, cawing ravens, fluttering bats and howling wolves evoke scenes of mist and haunted woods."

[via Press World]

Media companies back ChildLine for gift ringtones promo

Youth charity ChildLine is to launch a gift ringtones fundraising service, which is being supported by 20 media companies, including IPC Media, GCap, Universal McCann and Trinity Mirror.

The mobile ringtone gift programme, called Gringtones, has been set up by ChildLine to raise money for the charity's work.

[via Brand Republic]

Call of the Rainforest. Ringtones to raise money

The Brazilian aid group Cidade Movel is raising money for the Xavante Indians who live in the Amazon rainforest by selling ringtones based on their traditional chants .

According to a Reuters article tones like “the hunt song” and “the healing dance” have already garnered tens of thousands of dollars for the impoverished community.

The group has also created ringtones for two other regions as well: Praia da Pipa and Ponto de Cultura Flutuante."

[via ALR ]

Music Artists Join The RE*Generation

The Deftones (left) are one of several artists supporting The RE*Generation, by donating proceeds from selected ringtones.

The RE*Generation is Virgin Mobile USA's pro-social initiative to build awareness about the issues surrounding at-risk youth and teen homelessness.

The RE*Generation ringtones can be downloaded from the WAP browser available on Virgin Mobile handsets – or online at The RE*Generation home page found at www.virginmobileusa.com/regeneration. [via CRS Wire]

Related: - RE*Generation Movement to raise awareness for homeless and abused kids

Brazil Indians sell chanting cellphone ringtones

Xavante Indians living on the southern edge of Brazil's Amazon rainforest plan to start selling ringtones of traditional chants like the hunt song and the healing dance to cell phone users in China and Europe. [via stuff.co.nz]

"The project has generated tens of thousands of dollars for the Xavante and several other impoverished rural communities".