Galaxy Macau runs first Skype multiscreen campaign in Asia

The month-long Galaxy Macau campaign promoting holiday specials, which began on 26 November, is the first multi-screen (PC and mobile, including iOS, Blackberry and Android) campaign to run on Skype in Asia.

Skype has introduced advertising on its iPhone app, which is exclusively represented by Snap Mobile. Its mobile inventory currently targets Hong Kong users with display ads on the Skype contact and message screens.

According to Microsoft Advertising, the Skype audience has grown to more than 280 million users per month worldwide and is growing by 40 percent year on year, while Skype is one of the most popular free social networking apps on the Apple iTunes Hong Kong App Store.

The company launched Skype as an advertising platform over a year ago. Skype ads for the Windows 8 tablet, which is already available in markets such as the US and UK, will also be rolled out in Asia in 2013.

In May, Microsoft appointed Pixel Media as its exclusive online advertising representative for Skype in Hong Kong, without a pitch, extending a partnership that dates to 2002 from its MSN.com.hk, Windows Live Hotmail and Messenger.

According to Tony Bates, president of the Skype division, Microsoft will retire Messenger in all countries worldwide (with the exception of mainland China) in the first quarter of 2013.

In October 2011, Microsoft completed its US$8.5 billion acquisition of Skype Global, representing the official introduction of Skype as a new business division within Microsoft.