Water optimization expert Brita is using mobile as part of its "Filter for Good" promotion which encourages consumers to drink filtered tap water instead of single-serve bottles that add to the landfill.

Brita will be running ads on Pandora's Web site and on its mobile application as well. Brita's message is targeted at the 3 million Pandora users who have created personal Dave Matthews Band stations.

"This is a great opportunity for Brita because of the large Dave Matthews Band fan-base Pandora has," said Cheryl Lucanegro senior vice president of advertising sales at Pandora, Oakland, CA. "Because users can interact with the ad on their mobile without interrupting their music experience, Brita gets a whole canvas to tell its story and have people engage with the brand."

Pandora is a personalized Internet radio and music discovery service that is available online and via smartphones such as iPhones, BlackBerry devices and Window Mobile phones. Advertisers include HP, Microsoft, Honda, Procter& Gamble and Nike.

Pandora app users can click on the ad at the bottom of their device's screen, which does not interrupt the music experience.

They are then rerouted to a page where they can get coupons for Brita Filters and the Nalgene reusable water bottle.

Brita was able to target Pandora's registered Dave Matthews Band fans via geography, age and sex.
The entire campaign consists of the mobile banners, coupons and a FilterForGood.com radio station.

The Dave Matthews Band is actually letting fans stream its new album "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" in its entirety a week before its commercial release.

Ms. Lucanegro claims this is a ground-breaking move, as bands and music artists can release music online in an innovative way and brands can take advantage of these milestones by sponsoring the album release.

When Pandora first launched its iPhone application in September, Best Buy and Becks Beer were the first brands that ran branding-purposed mobile campaigns within the application.

Users who clicked on the application's icon from their iPhone were routed to a welcome screen with the advertiser's logo (see story).

Denim giant Levi Strauss & Co.'s Dockers San Francisco ran mobile ads in Pandora's much anticipated application for Research in Motion's BlackBerry devices.

Dockers San Francisco was the premiere sponsor of the launch of the BlackBerry application. Dockers' goal was to engage BlackBerry smartphone users who are on-the-go, tech-savvy consumers ages 30-35 and are confident, ambitious and socially conscious (see story).

"Cutting edge content deals such as the one with Brita give advertisers the chance to associate their brand and message with an exclusive music experience," Ms. Lucanegro said. "I think what's key here is that users can explore offers, participate and engage with the brand without having to stop their music experience."