Japanese Hotel Industry’s First Ever Campaign Utilizing “Second Life”2008.01.24

Solare Hotels and Resorts Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato Ward, Tokyo, President and CEO: A.G.Virili, www.solarehotels.com/english, hereafter, Solare)) with the support of transcosmos Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, President and COO: Masataka Okuda, hereafter, transcosmos), Japan’s leading IT outsourcing services provider, will implement the first ever application of the 3D virtual world “Second Life” in the Japanese hotel industry with their road side hotel “Chisun Inn” campaign called the “Lost Puppy Campaign” from January 24 through March 31, 2008. （http://www.solarehotels.com/dog）

Presently, there is said to be 11.8 million Second Life users throughout the world, including 800,000 in Japan. Further, it is a new medium that has the long-term potential to disseminate Second Life images to non-users through various video clip-posting sites.

With the goal of establishing 50 locations through Japan by 2010 and to gain recognition for their “Chisun Inn” roadside hotel brand, Solare has begun a campaign using the new communication medium “Second Life.” Because a high ratio of Second Life users are thought to be those who have not had the opportunity to come into contact with this brand, such as young adults and women, who hold the initiative for trip scheduling, a puppy-themed campaign was developed to appeal to this segment.

The “Second Life” campaign summary is as follows:

◆ Second Life Summary:
Commercials made with CG animation using images from within Second Life will be shown by the Second Life News (program name SL News. tv *1) that is broadcasted from TV Station Island within Second Life. http://www.slnews.tv/index.html

1. The content of this commercial is an “Adventure story about a lost puppy and his travels after he wanders into Second Life.” If you do a web search of the keyword “Puppy search” that is found in this commercial, you will be guided to the campaign site and after answering a questionnaire, you can enter a drawing for hotel vouchers.
2. The same commercial will be broadcast through the Solare web campaign site as well as other video clip posting sites.

*1　SL News.tv is a Second Life exclusive news site operated by transcosmos’ Web-star Japan, Inc. Monthly viewing is approximately 100,000 (As of Nov. 07). Also, televisions that can view this program within Second Life are being supplied and already about 8000 OEM units have been distributed. The number of monthly viewing of this TV is approximately 20,000.

◆ Campaign Summary
Name: Lost Puppy Campaign in Second Life
Period: January 24 ~ March 31, 2008 (The news broadcast within Second Life ends on February 23, but the campaign will be effective and the commercial will be broadcasted on the company website until March 31.)
Details: Watch the lost puppy story to be shown in Second Life, the company website, and video clip sites and answer the questionnaire on the campaign website to enter a drawing for 20 people to win free vouchers to stay at Chisun Inn roadside hotels.