By Mike Rowbottom

Westfield campaign_17_JulyJuly 20 - Westfield, Official Shopping Centres of the London 2012 Olympic Games, has revealed plans for an innovative multi-platform digital campaign pitting Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City consumers against each other – with Team GB merchandise as the prize.

Westfield has gained the support of the British Olympic Association for the campaign with consumers also being given the option of signing up to support Team GB.

Team GB merchandise will be awarded to winners throughout the campaign.

Developed by Story Worldwide and entitled "#I Was There", the campaign encourages consumers to choose an allegiance to either Westfield London in the west of the capital or Westfield Stratford City at the edge of the Olympic Park in the east and showcase their regional support through a variety of social media channels.

Signing up at the Westfield London (pictured below) or Westfield Stratford City websites earns the respective teams a point, as will tweets, Instagram pictures, videos and check-ins referencing the dedicated hashtags #iwasthere, #west or #east.

Westfield London_17_JulyWestfield London is located in White City, the host site for first Olympics in Britain, in 1908

Participants are also encouraged to get involved on the Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City Facebook pages for more opportunities to win points.

The marketing activity aims to mobilise Londoners to share their story of the summer and become part of the legacy of the London 2012 Games.

Running until the end of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, tagged content will be featured in live feeds on the Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City (pictured below) websites.

The best content from each team will be featured each week on the Westfield websites, with weekly winners receiving special prizes.

At the end of the campaign, an overall winner for best content will be selected, and members of the winning team will be selected at random to receive a Visa prepaid card loaded with their share of the £25,000 ($39,000/€32,000) prize fund.

Westfield plans to drive further consumer interactions by recruiting roving reporters around London who will generate content for their respective team and provide a jumping-off point for further fan conversations, as well as encouraging relevant retail, fashion and entertainment bloggers to captain their side of the capital and share their favourite #iwasthere experiences.

Westfield Stratford_city_shopping_centre

Westfield Stratford City is the largest shopping centre in Europe and gateway to the London 2012 Olympic Park


Activity will be supported by a Facebook campaign incorporating Facebook apps and a detailed content strategy, with a series of challenges to generate buzz and virality among fans.

The existing Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City Android and iPhone apps will also be re-skinned to support full campaign activity, and a phased search and pay-per-click campaign will be implemented to attract traffic from consumers both in the United Kingdom and abroad searching for things to do in London.

Westfield general marketing manager Myf Ryan commented: "Westfield is proud to be the Official Shopping Centre of the London 2012 Olympic Games and we believe that this campaign will both harness and fuel consumer excitement around this once-in-a-lifetime event.

"By giving members of the public who reside in and visit the capital an outlet to champion what they believe to be the best aspects of the London experience, Westfield will play a part in ensuring the Games are an unforgettable milestone in the city's rich history."

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