ZOO signs deals with Emap’s Q and The Pepsi Chart ZOO to launch two pop titles

‘Q - The Music Quiz’ is scheduled for launch in April. The Q brand is a renowned authority on the music world and already exists across multiple platforms – a market-leading magazine, digital TV station, website and the coveted Q Awards. The game has been designed with the involvement of the Q team to ensure that the best possible experience is delivered to players. ‘Q - The Music Quiz’ is not just another licensed product, but an extension of the Q brand. It includes familiar sections of the magazine such as ‘Where Are They Now?’ and ‘Their Time Is Now’ and features the sharp grown-up wit for which the magazine is famous.

Brendan Moffett, ZOO’s marketing director, commented:
“Q – The Music Quiz is the end result of a three-way symbiotic relationship. ZOO’s market research illustrated huge potential for a well-respected media brand such as Q to launch a music game. ZOO’s expertise in the interactive entertainment market, coupled with a close working relationship with Q, will ensure that its brand values are eloquently communicated, while ultimately broadening and strengthening its audience.”

Stuart Williams, Emap Performance’s Head of Marketing for Rock, commented:
“Much of what we create in Q magazine, QTV and Q4music.com is designed to create great conversation fodder for a Friday evening down the pub. Creating an interactive game is a terrific way of extending this practice into a fun and innovative revenue stream. Further down the line we’re looking to incorporate the quiz into our other platforms, including iTV and websites.”

The Pepsi Chart product will launch in July and will appeal to the mass-market ‘pop’ culture. The emphasis of the game is on highly interactive gameplay and up-to-date content to reflect the nature of the Pepsi Chart.

Pepsi have had a very successful and long standing association with music over the past ten years, ranging from international music artists to the Pepsi Chart broadcast property - aired globally in 37 countries.

A Pepsi spokesperson commented that the development of the Pepsi Chart gaming terminals are aligned with extending Pepsi’s music platforms to bring new music experiences to their consumers year in, year out

The success of Popstars and Pop Idol, in addition to the growth of dedicated music channels, have moved pop music back to the top of the agenda after years of battling with video games and satellite TV. Interest in the charts has never been greater with the discussion of ‘unit sales’ and ‘midweeks’ becoming social currency.

The Pepsi Chart Challenge aims to exploit this popularity, bringing a new breed of player to touch screen gaming terminals.

Brendan Moffett, marketing director at ZOO commented:
“Most people want more than an anaemic general knowledge quiz to entertain them. Pub culture has evolved enormously over the past three years and due to advances in new technology, in-pub entertainment can now take advantage of this.”