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Beep Beep - the ad you get by Bluetooth as you're walking past
Last updated at 23:22pm on 31.03.07A futuristic scheme that bombards passing shoppers with adverts delivered direct to their mobile phones has been secretly launched by a High Street bank.
In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, members of the public passing branches of HSBC have received messages from the financial giant on their handsets by Bluetooth technology.
Hundreds have been sent the unsolicited commercials when close to two of the busiest London branches, Regent Street and Canary Wharf.
The technology was invented to send information between electronic devices without the need for wires but is typically used only to send pictures and files between friends and business people.
Is this acceptable advertising? Join the debate in reader comments below...
Passers-by at the Regent Street branch on Friday were sent video files promoting HSBC's cash ISA.
The first screen flashed up "Look, no tax!', then changed to read "Open a Cash Mini-ISA now and we'll give you £2 to be shared equally between Earthwatch, The Climate Group and WWF'.
The final screen gave a number to text for a telephone call-back or suggested asking in the branch.
HSBC, which has 8.5million current-account holders, did not publicly announce the new system but has been secretly testing it for two months.
A hidden Bluetooth 'box' inside the bank branch searches the nearby area for Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.
Those who have the facility activated on their handset are then sent a message asking if they will accept a free download from the bank.
If they accept, a full message is transmitted giving information about one of the bank's products or services.
The passer-by can refuse the information, in which case no message is received. The technology can also spot whether someone has already been contacted, to make sure they do not get repeated messages from the same campaign.
HSBCsays feedback from customers and passers-by has been 'positive' but The Mail on Sunday found a more lukewarm reception among shoppers.
Stuart Green, 44, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was sent the message offering the download but refused it.
He said: "To be honest, I wouldn't accept it. I don't risk it with anything that I haven't actually asked for myself. There are too many scams around."
Sarah Thomas, 36, of Finchley, North London, said: "I get enough spam on email and in the post - the last thing I want is messages coming up while I'm walking down the street.
"What if all the shops started doing the same?'
Bluetooth is the name for a short-range radio-based technology, capable of sending speech and data across a distance of ten metres.
It is named after the Danish king Harald Bluetooth who united Denmark and Norway - echoing the initial aim of the technology to unify the telecom and computing industries.
The move recalls the personalised talking advertisements featured in futuristic film Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise, where billboards flashed to life as people walked by.
HSBC says the scheme is being piloted during branch opening hours but could be extended. "It is an exciting new way of communicating,' it said.
Reader views (5)
This is nothing more than the equivalent of spam emails and the idea that they could know enough about you to personalise the message is pretty scary and dangerous.
Why aren't the existing advertising channels enough for these people? Where will this end?
- Paul A, Edinburgh
Cool! It would be good if the messages could be personailsed - I know I could always ignore anything and to be honest I really don't mind this sort of marketing - gives you something to do when walking around and who knows I could get that deal of a life time!
- Andrew, Isle fo Man
It's no different to hearing adverts on the radio. Except it could be more fun and more relevant (this is location specific). To receive one of these messages, your phone has to be set to "Bluetooth Discoverable". Just as you turn off the radio when you don't want to listen to the DJ (or the ads) you can switch your mobile to "Bluetooth Discoverable Off" and not be bothered by Bluetooth ads. Easy!
- Steve, Blackburn
This is basically a method of commercial "Bluejacking" that was all the rage a year or two back, whereby you could search for "open" bluetooth devices nearby and send an unsolicited message. If you use bluetooth devices to connect to your mobile such as to access the internet via the GPRS function, setting your phone to only allowing "paired" devices, i.e. authorised ones you have set up previously to connect to your phone should stop this happening. Otherwise simply turn the bluetooth function off.
- Steve, Hereford
This is a blatant and unethical invasion of privacy. If there is no law against it, then such a law must be enacted immediately.
- Tom Brownstone, Somerset, UK
