Phone shopping in SL

Since Second Life's got a reputation for being the big marketing hotspot, I decided I ought to go check out how those sales types utilize Second Life to sell their real-world products.

So what better place to go than the Sony Ericsson island?


As soon as I arrived, I was bombarded by a garish, hovering "I heart ____" sign. Seems like the Sony Ericsson people thought it'd be clever to replace the heart with their logo. I'm not so convinced.

I found that if I clicked on the sign, I could add this island to my list of places to visit. Rather than having to search for the island again, I could just select it from a list of places. I suppose it's about as useful as bookmarking the Sony Ericsson website, but it feels more like they're trying to get me to treat them like a friend. That's a little spooky.


Inside the store, various phone models were on display. If I clicked on one of them . . .


. . . a web browser popped up with specifications, promotional photos and video, and details on how to purchase the phone. It's a clever connection to an established website, and the transition is totally seamless. Maybe there's something to be said for using Second Life as a virtual shopping center after all. Being able to look at high-resolution images and manipulate three-dimensional versions of products is pretty cool.


Of course, what marketing campaign would be complete without free virtual swag? I decided I'd pick the best color of the bunch - orange, clearly - and see what kind of reactions other Second Lifers would give me.

Unfortunately, there weren't any around to ask. The island was completely deserted for the approximate 20 minutes I spent there.

Too bad there isn't a shirt that proclaims "I heart selling out."