Ford is pulling out all the bells and whistles for a new campaign to connect with New York Yankees fans by using a mix of augmented reality, SMS, applications and mobile Web.

The campaign is being used by Ford retail locations in the Tri-State area to target in-stadium Yankee fans. Ford?s agency of record, Team Detroit, is behind the campaign.

?The strategy behind the Jeter?s Ford Challenge campaign was to leverage technology?s strengths to tap into the connection between Yankees fans and the Tri-State New York Ford dealers,? said Aaron Smith, vice president of mobile strategy at Team Detroit, Dearborn, MI.

?Mobile?s always-with-you strength is very personal and tapping into augmented reality makes the message even more personal with the brand,? he said.

?Plus, delivering a fun and entertaining experience always is more successful than a one-way communication. Mobile offers that more personable interaction and engagement.?

Mobile fans
The Ford campaign is running through the end of the Major Baseball League season and centers around letting sports fans interact with New York Yankees star Derek Jeter.

The main hub of all activity around the ?Jeter?s Ford Challenge? campaign is through the mobile site  http://m.jeter.tristateford.com/.

Via the mobile site, users can find a Tri-State area Ford dealer, download wallpapers featuring Derek Jeter and enter to win baseball memorabilia.

The mobile site encourages users to download the Jeter app for free from either Apple?s App Store or the Google Play market, which lets fans pose in a virtual picture with Derek Jeter via image recognition and augmented reality.

Users first must use the app?s built-in camera feature to scan the Ford logo. Once the logo is recognized, the app brings up a virtual image of Derek Jeter that consumers can pinch and zoom to line up to snap a picture of themselves in the frame.

Additionally, users can enter to win a 2013 Ford Escape via the app by filling out a form on the New York Yankee?s Web site.

The campaign is being promoted via geofenced technology set up around Yankee Stadium or by opting-in to a SMS program. Users can text the keyword JETER to 4Ford for a link to the campaign?s mobile site.

Television spots are also planned to begin later this summer for the campaign.

Mobile mania
The regional Ford campaign is an example of how brands can roll out a mobile-first campaign that touches multiple platforms.

Although smartphone ownership is on the rise, there are still a high number of feature phone users, meaning that it is important for marketers to include universal mobile channels such as SMS and mobile Web into campaigns.

On the other hand though, apps and location-based services are increasingly becoming an expected way that smartphone owners connect with a brand.  Offering a wide net of mobile options for consumers to interact with makes it so that all consumers can participate, regardless of the device that they are using.

In sports, mobile is an especially prominent way for brands to connect with in-stadium fans because it lets marketers target a specific group with content that they might be interested in while watching a game.

?Even though we are in a state of the majority of mobile phones being smartphones, we want to be able to engage as many fans as possible,? Mr. Smith said.

?We wanted to serve up content at many different levels of devices using the various mechanisms like SMS, mobile app, and the mobile site. In addition, our goal is to use all of those tactics together to drive traffic as well ? SMS messaging in traditional to receive a link, geofenced media to drive to the app and also some downloadables on the mobile site all working together for the most impact.?

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York