Time Out magazine 'loses' cell phone in Shanghai guerrilla campaign

The phone was placed on a random street in Shanghai, available for any passer-by to pick up. Once someone did, a text message was received with instructions to get into the London cab that immediately pulled up beside them.

The cab, a nod to Time Out’s London roots, ferried them around the city to discover places they may not have found on their own.

The eclectic and unique stops included Homies, a tiny American-style hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint; UltraViolet, an unmarked restaurant where each course is served with customised wall projections, scents and soundtracks; Peace Hotel's Jazz Bar, where jazz music first came to Communist China and where the same band (with members now in their 80s) plays weekly; Shouning Lu, a street food market favoured by locals; and Bar Rouge, an exclusive nightclub along the Bund.

The only form of communication was through text messages on the phone, and each stop along the way was documented by hidden cameras.

The 'Stolen phone tour' was meant to demonstrate the strengths of Time Out Shanghai as an honest, insider source on where to eat, drink, shop, watch and play, according to the company.

This is the first partnership between Time Out and Energy BBDO, which works with clients who "don’t have the budget to be boring”, according to the agency's regional account director James Drummond.

CREDITS

Project: Stolen Phone Tour
Client: Time Out magazine
Agency / City: Energy BBDO Shanghai
Creatives: Kevin Lynch, Nate Gagnon, Alex Zhao, Alex Lim
Production Company / City: Limelight Studios, Shanghai
Director: Kristian Hansen
Music title & Artist: “Shen Xian Yao” （神仙药） by AM444
Exposure: Outdoor