Lorik blog

Bing Brings You Jay-Z's Life 'Decoded'

Jay-Z fans will be able to access pages from the rapper's upcoming book - Decoded, an exploration of his life and lyrics - starting this week for a whole month before it hits store shelves on November 16. This sneak peek is part of an online interactive game and campaign that has been formed in collaboration with .

Here's how it works: Pages from the book will be physically placed around the world with a majority in the New York area, in locations related to specific content featured on Bing - specificallyand . Five to 10 new pages from the book will be revealed each day, and participating fans who visitwill be able to find these pages either online or in person.

"Pages will be placed in locations related to the content, so that's everything from high profile advertising like billboards to very very unique placements such as swimming pools and pool tables, and even high-fashion designer clothing racks," says Lisa Gurry, a Bing spokeswoman and communications director.

Once players locate a page, they will get credit for it online. If they find it in a physical location, they will be able to text a unique game code from the page. Players will be entered into drawings to wina signed copy of the page they've located. And everyone who locates a page will be entered into a contest for the grand prize - two tickets to see Jay-Z and Coldplay in concert at Las Vegas on New Year's Eve.

The interactive game is heavily built ontechnology, and it includes Bing Maps features such as Birds-Eye View and Streetside imagery. It also has a variety of Bing Entertainment features - in this instance, photos and videos of Jay-Z, as well as song clips.

The campaign, which was developed by creative agency Droga5, is the first of its kind for Bing. Gurry says it was conceived as a way to raise buzz about Jay-Z's book, while also potentially introducing Bing to a new audience. Gurry says Bing has previously worked with various artists in many aspects of the entertainment industry, and that it will probably continue focusing on that area.

"As far as replicating this specific campaign, we'll see how it goes and take it from there," she says.

Check out some pages from Decoded and the Bing interactive experience below. What are your thoughts on this marketing campaign?

Thumbnail courtesy of Flickr,