Tokyo skyscraper launches digital campaign while under construction

A devoted Twitter following and a successful viral marketing campaign are two highly sought-after assets for any brand. However, they can also prove to be frustratingly elusive, with the recipe for success a much-debated topic. It comes as some surprise, then, to see a skyscraper embarking on a multi-faceted digital campaign — and even more so when the building isn’t even fully built yet. The structure in question is Tokyu’s new Tokyo-based 34-story skyscraper Shibuya Hikarie, due to open in 2012 and set to house offices, restaurants, shops, a gallery and a music theater. To create interest in the building before its completion, a Twitter account has been set up @shibuya_hikarie, which invites visitors to take photos of the construction and tweet them with a #hikarie tag. During March, there will also be a competition for the chance to win gift vouchers for the concert hall/theatre/museum complex Bunkamura, and a chance to stay in the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel. To take part, entrants must attempt to replicate with their own camera a photo of the building taken from a secret location. Fans of the building can also print a QR code from the Hikarie website (PDF link), scan it with an augmented reality app, and generate a 3D model of the building. Again, photos of the virtual building can be submitted for a chance to win a JPY 5,000 Tokyu voucher. It’s certainly an impressive amount of activity towards the marketing of an unfinished building, however only time will tell if the subject matter proves compelling enough to generate genuine success. Whatever the outcome, there’s plenty here to be inspired by for your own social network campaigns! (Related: Augmented reality app reveals architecture past, present & future.)