AUSTIN, Texas -- Virtual reality activations by major brands like Samsung and McDonalds were the biggest trend of 2016 South by Southwest Interactive, but perhaps one of the most-discussed -- and cuddliest -- demonstrations to hit the Austin streets was a pack of St. Bernards in motorcycle sidecars on a quest to save dying smartphone batteries. National St. Bernard Foundation
Phone battery case company Mophie created a spectacle at SXSW this week as attendees running low on battery power were encouraged to tweet at the brand for help. By sending a screenshot of a smartphone's low battery percentage and using the hashtag #mophieRescue, the company sent a fleet of dogs -- all from families of the National St. Bernard Foundation -- to hundreds of people across the downtown area and gave out Mophie battery packs to charge up devices.
Mophie also responded to tweets with an interactive GPS map that showed the St. Bernards were on their way. Even actor Elijah Wood was rescued from his dying smartphone (celebrities; they're just like us).
While it was a clear marketing ploy, it certainly brought brand awareness to the accessory company across Austin and social media sites. After all, who doesn't love dogs, and who doesn't hate dying phone batteries?
For a full look at the activation, check out the video above.
Bonus: Here's how you unlock the secret emoticon keyboard on your iPhone
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