Carl's Jr. ran a trivia game campaign encouraging customers to participate by texting in their answers to various questions.

Consumers were encouraged to return multiple times -- the more consecutive correct answers they submitted, the bigger the prize, from iTunes gift cards to iPod shuffles. The fast-food chain tapped digital out-of-home media provider Outcast to issue the mobile call-to-action via video displays at the point of sale.

"The strategy behind the SMS trivia game was to increase repeat visits to Carl's Jr. Restaurants," said Matthew Stoudt, CEO of Outcast, Santa Monica, CA.

Carl's Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain located mostly in the Western United States and West Coast regions. It is also in the process of expanding into Canada, Mexico and China.

It is owned by CKE Restaurants Inc. Along with its sibling restaurant chain Hardee's, Carl's Jr. is the No. 4 QSR burger chain in the U.S. after McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's.

For the SMS trivia campaign, Outcast displayed two multiple-choice trivia questions on 42-inch hi-def flat-screen TVs in five Carl's Jr. restaurants around Los Angeles.

The call-to-action was: "Play the Carl's Jr. Daily Trivia Game. Text your one-word answer to short code 41 41 41 to play. Eight correct answers wins you a $5 gift card, 16 correct answers wins you a $10 iTunes gift card and 32 correct answers wins you an iPod shuffle."

Formerly known as Fuelcast, Outcast has a nationwide network of fuel-pump video displays, in addition to its newly added mobile platform focusing on SMS coupons.

Outcast has delivered 25 million SMS coupons to date. Some of its most successful coupon campaigns have been with advertisers such as Universal Pictures, Redbox and Carl's Jr.

Outcast claims that its mobile coupon platform generates an average redemption rate exceeding 25 percent.

Outcast's user-activated mobile platform, the largest of its kind in digital out-of-home, gives advertisers and retailers the ability to connect with customers on a one-to-one basis enabling continuous communication with on-the-go consumers after they leave the pump.

Viewers can participate in the mobile campaigns by responding to text message calls-to-action or by entering their mobile number online, allowing them to download content, register for sweepstakes and giveaways, receive customized SMS coupons and get detailed driving directions sent directly to their mobile phones.

As advertisers look for ways to reach mobile consumers, digital out-of-home is growing, bringing in $2.43 billion in 2008, according to Outcast.

Outcast claims to reache more than 25 million people in the top DMAs each month.

Outcast has exclusive corporate relationships with Shell, ConocoPhillips, MasterCard and Holiday Superstations, as well as retail partnerships with Walgreens, Sears, Kmart, Albertsons, and Stop N' Shop.

Outcast features programming and targeted advertising on 6,000 digital LCD screens nationwide.

"Outcast helps Carl's Jr. connect on a one-to-one basis with their customers through their mobile phones and helps them bring customers back to the restaurant more frequently," Mr. Stoudt said.