Getting Reloaded

“The Matrix Reloaded,” the sequel to the 1999 movie blockbuster, doesn’t even open until May 15, but already the movie is generating major buzz--in the world of wireless handsets, no less. When the original “Matrix” premiered four years ago, it made the Nokia 8110 prominently featured in the film a must-have item among gadget geeks--third-party vendors even made a small killing with “Matrix”-inspired faceplates designed to fit other Nokia models. But for “The Matrix Reloaded,” the stakes are much higher: This time, rival handset maker Samsung has signed on to create and market mobile phones specifically designed for use in the film--to the best of my knowledge, the first time an entire phone has been designed solely around an advertising tie-in.

Not a lot is currently known about the Samsung phone--there’s an official Web site (www.thematrixphone.com), although a Matrix fan site ( click here) is far more forthcoming with technical information and photos. Comments about the phone from fans of the first movie are split--some think it looks fantastic, others prefer the sleeker design of the Nokia 8110. Either way, Samsung already has people talking, nearly three months in advance of the phone’s own May 15 release date.

So give the company credit--they’re trying something new and different, and it seems to be working. As mobile entertainment evolves and expands, the synergy between the wireless industry and the show business industry will follow suit, so it makes perfect sense to develop more integrated marketing and advertising between the two sectors. A project like “The Matrix Reloaded” affords Samsung the perfect opportunity: Not only is the film eagerly anticipated by a rabid cult following, but mobile phones already serve an almost iconic function in its mythos. From all appearances, the Samsung phone isn’t just a random product placement but an actual component of the story. Diehard fans--and if the number of “Matrix” Web sites is any indication, they are legion--will have to have one.

Mind you, I’d like to know more about the phone itself--e.g., price, bells and whistles, etc.--before giving it a sweeping endorsement. But to paraphrase the original movie, perhaps no one can be told what the Matrix phone is. You have to see it for yourself.

E-mail me at jankeny@primediabusiness.com.