− New this year, over 600 new names plus an Android version of the app −
− Follow #MagicSanta on Twitter for news, updates, and to share messages −
For the French version of this release, please click here.
TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - For the third year in a row, believers can spread the magic of the season with a free, personalized video message from MAGIC SANTA. Children watch as Santa greets them by name and asks his magic machine to show him whether each child has been naughty or nice. The video is also customized to include a toy, the child's photo, home town or province, something the child achieved in the past year, and a challenge for the upcoming year.
Starting today, family and friends can visit magicsanta.ca on their smart phone or computer, or use the Magic Santa iOS or Android app to create their very own personalized video message. Once a MAGIC SANTA video is created, it can be accessed online whenever users wish, forwarded as many times as they like, and shared on social networks.
"Sending a personal message from Magic Santa is the perfect way to get friends and family into the holiday spirit," said Matt Houghton, Director of Digital, Sympatico.ca, Comedy and Drama, Bell Media. "With the addition of the Android app and more than 600 new names this year, it's even easier for everyone to create videos for the special people in their lives."
Magic Santa has enjoyed significant year-over-year growth with 3.2 million videos created and 443 thousand app downloads in 2011. That's a 168% increase in videos created and a 157% increase in app downloads over 2010. This year's new features will be updated for free for anyone who already has the app. Free apps for Android and Apple devices allow users to create and share videos as many times as the user likes. The MAGIC SANTA personalized video is free to create and share through the holiday season with users also having the option to save their video to a personal library for a small fee of 99¢.
Users can share their best childhood Christmas memories and create new ones in a MAGIC SANTA Facebook contest hosted on Sympatico.ca's fan page. Contest participants tag friends included in their memories for a chance to win one of three $500 gift certificates just in time for holiday shopping. The contest runs until Wednesday, Dec. 12. On Twitter, there will be a Twitter party in the first week of December using #MagicSanta. The participants with the most interesting responses will also receive gift certificates.
**MEDIA NOTE: High resolution images of Santa, a fact sheet, and spokesperson bios are available at bellmediapr.ca/bellmediadigital.**
Both the children's and grown up versions of MAGIC SANTA are available in French at http://perenoelmagique.ca.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter:
@Sympatico
Facebook:
facebook.com/Sympatico.ca
About Bell Media Digital:
Bell Media Digital delivers the most popular news, sports, entertainment and lifestyle media in Canada through dynamic systems including Canada's leading online video network, award-winning websites, user-generated content sites, mobile-optimized sites and apps. Bell Media Digital is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company.
Image with caption: "Magic Santa celebrates the magic of the holiday season with a festive e-card. (CNW Group/Bell Media)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121114_C7898_PHOTO_EN_20596.jpg
SOURCE: Bell Media
Share this article