TextBack, a project we've undertaken for EMI Music, has launched today. Promoted on flyers and in print ads, TextBack lets anyone interested in a piece of advertising demonstrate their interest in the band and get more information sent to them by texting in their email address, at no charge beyond normal SMS rates. Participants receive an email with links to downloads, video clips, samples and competitions.

TextBack has been launched to promote The Vines, but will be extended to further acts in the next few weeks.

This allows EMI to track the effectiveness of their various ad campaigns, and engage with their audience in an immediate manner. Delivering content by email lets EMI integrate the service with their other activities easily and reach more fans than MMS will allow at present.

"We can't understand why TextBack isn't standard for any offline advertising campaign", commented Future Platforms MD Tom Hume. "Given that over three-quarters of the UK population own a mobile phone, it opens up a range of opportunities for tracking ad effectiveness and getting instant feedback from the public. Why expect your customers to remember a web site address when you can connect with them there and then?"

Read more about our work with EMI