Macy’s continues to be at the forefront of brands using mobile advertising to drive online and in-store sales, as evidenced by a recent campaign that leveraged a mobile game.

Last week the retailer ran a campaign with a type of mobile ad unit that uses word association to help build brand awareness, and the ads ran within the Pandora iPhone application. The ad campaign points to retailers trying multiple ways to reach mobile users while they are on the go.

“To be successful in mobile, cognition is required, and participation with a brand message is the best way to achieve cognition,” said Ari Jacoby, CEO of Solve Media, New York.

“As retailers frequently juggle dozens of messages per quarter, it is especially relevant to find effective ways to guarantee that their messages are understood,” he said.

Mr. Jacoby is not affiliated with Macy’s. He spoke based on his expertise on the subject.

Macy’s did not meet press deadline.

Mobile recall
The copy for the ad read, “Play this game while you listen to music.” Below, a banner indicates that the game is sponsored by Macy’s.

When consumers clicked on the ad, a landing page brought up a picture of clothes next to the retailer’s famous star logo.

The landing page also features a box where consumers were required to type in the word associated with the picture in 30 seconds. The correct answer for the word was “Macy’s.”

The top of the ad promoted a one-day sale from Macy’s that kept the brand top of mind while consumers played the game.

After consumers successfully guessed the word, a message popped up congratulating the win.

Users could then click-through to visit Macy’s mobile site, where the time-sensitive sale was promoted.

Alternatively, consumers could chose to play the branded game again with the words “bag” and “shoes” that showed off some of Macy’s merchandise.

Another one of the word games

Outside the basic banner
Macy’s has consistently tested different types of mobile advertising over the years.

For example, the brand ran an iAd campaign for Mother’s Day this year that included a savings pass that consumers could save to their mobile device and use while shopping in-store (see story).

Additionally, the brand was one of the initial mobile advertisers with Spotify last year and used its partnership to build up awareness and sales for its MStyleLab line (see story).

In this case, Macy’s word-associated campaign shows how the brand is looking for ways outside of basic banner ads to grab consumers’ attentions.

Asking consumers to type in a word associated with the brand before visiting Macy’s mobile site makes the ad more interactive than a static banner ad.

“It’s especially important for retailers to try out-of-the-box mobile advertising in order to find the best ways to reach their customers as they shop, research products and socialize, all on the go,” Mr. Jacoby said.

“Most mobile ads fail, they’re too small, accidentally clicked and irrelevant to the experience,” he said. “Consumers prefer a value exchange for quality content and are receptive to participatory ads if they are done well.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York