Benefon launches mobile phone with sat-nav capability

Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has been appointed to handle the 2m media planning and buying account for the global launch of a mobile phone with built-in satellite navigation.

The Twig Discovery handset, manufactured by Finnish group Benefon, has launched in the UK, Germany, Spain and Scandinavia. It will be rolled out in Russia, South Africa, Asia and Australia by the end of the year. It goes up against in-car systems such as TomTom and NavMan.

The phone provides a range of location-based services, including family and friends finding and tracking, real-time traffic reports and speed camera locations. It will also have SMS messaging.

OMG will work with advertising agency Wizard/Tomlin Bean, which has created a launch campaign, and PR agency Companycare to promote it as the first mobile phone with sat-nav.

The first phase will be a trade campaign that breaks next month. That will be followed by a consumer campaign that is expected to use “Navigate, Communicate, Locate” as its strapline.

Benefon chief marketing officer Jeremy Newing says: “We are entering an exciting era. With the launch of the Twig brand, I need experienced support from industry experts with a sound, professional awareness of our communications needs.”