Channel 4 teamed up with Hat Trick Productions and Widebeam Digital to become the UK’s first terrestrial channel to launch a publicly available mobile app that used hidden audio triggers to unlock exclusive additional content.
Viewers of the hit comedy show, Facejacker, could run the app while watching the show on TV. Intrasonics audio trigger codes were inserted into each segment of the show, unlocking different items of bonus content for the viewers and rewarding loyalty.
Our audio watermark triggers were also embedded in other Facejacker content, such as trailers, 4oD episodes and in the Facejacker DVD. Viewers had to track down the audio to unlock all the bonus material which included 30 minutes of original, unseen clips and behind-the-scenes video.
Sales of the app reached 70,000 during the six-episode first season of Facejacker, with more than 115,000 content items delivered to viewers’ iPhones and iPads.
The Facejacker app won Best App in the Broadcast Digital Awards in 2012, with judges recognising its success on several fronts.
We’ve found a way of taking the hottest technology available right now and used it to create one of the most ridiculous apps you’ll find in the app store. We hope viewers will have a lot of fun tracking down all the audio triggers.
Jody Smith , Multiplatform Commissioning Editor, Channel 4
We are thrilled to have delivered our first ever second screen project to Channel Four in Facejacker. This exciting new app takes advantage of brand new technology; we’re hoping that with the innovative addition of the audio codes we can build on and exceed the success of the previous app.
Jonathan Davenport , Head of Digital, Hat Trick Productions
