Disney's Tony Award-winning musical "The Lion King" at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas used mobile to drive ticket sales.

Commercial spots on the Cox Media cable network encouraged viewers to text the keywords NALA or MUFASA to short code 269411. Ping Mobile powered the mobile aspect and The Lion King and Mandalay Bay were able to build an opt-in database of locals interested in receiving promotions in the future.

"The strategy for this client's campaign was to generate buzz about the Lion King musical production at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, as well as drive traffic to the outdoor shopping mall - Town Square," said Shira Simmonds, president of Ping Mobile, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

"Mobile was suitable for this campaign because it provided the ability to engage the target market, be the medium for the scavenger hunt and provide extremely detailed metrics from beginning to end," she said. "It will also be the preferred platform for remarketing to the respondents."

This particular campaign was unique, as it was a scavenger hunt utilizing the mobile device.

Consumers that texted in NALA or PUMBA got a message that said, "Find Lion King Paw Prints near Your next clue @ Whole Foods in Town Square. Address: 6689 Las Vegas Blvd."

When the consumer reached the destination, they were asked to text LION to the same short code to get the next clue.

Respondents that used the keyword LION got a message that said, "Get "ON" Your way and "sea" the latest clothing styles at Your next clue in Town Square!"

Once consumers reached Town Square and found the next clue, they were instructed to text TIMON to the short code.

In return they got a message that said, "It's a walk in the "park" to a Tropical Time with "Tommy" for Your Final Clue in Town Square!"

The last and final keyword was MUFASA. Once consumers texted this keyword in the got a message that said, "Congrat's! You finished the hunt! Winners will be contacted on 5/7/09."

The double opt-in was then sent, asking consumers to reply YES for ten entries to win a $100 Whole Foods Gift Card and to subscribe to Cox exclusives.

"The goals of this campaign posed a unique set of challenges, and the mobile channel provided the ideal measurable solution," said Isaac Naor, client services manager at Ping Mobile. "It allowed enough creativity to drive locals to the new [high-end] outdoor mall, provided engagement with the brand, and enabled the campaign to stand-out and become viral."

Respondents had to physically commute to different locations and participated in a fully-interactive scavenger hunt.

Ms. Simmonds said that a mobile scavenger hunt has never been done for marketing of this kind of product.

"The Lion King/Mandalay Bay and Town Square were exceptional partners to work with," said Suken Shah, advanced advertising specialist at Cox Media. "It was exciting to be able to bring this innovative promotion to Las Vegas. We developed a unique idea that captured the attention of The Lion King's target market while leaving a lasting impression with consumers."