Sony Ericsson's "Shopping With Kareena' contest held at Mumbai

Leaving everyone else behind in the "Shopping with Kareena' campaign, 24 year old Rishi Nandrajog, a risk analyst with an Indian financial services company, spent last evening picking up his favorite brands, and engaging in a tete-a-tete with stylish superstar Kareena Kapoor! Organized by Sony Ericsson, the uber-cool communication entertainment brand, Rishi took part in a contest organized by the mobile phone manufacturer. Launched last month, the campaign entailed consumers buying a Sony Ericsson phone, and getting the opportunity to go on a shopping spree worth Rs. 5 lakh with the company's brand ambassador and Bollywood celebrity.

As the much loved youth brand, Sony Ericsson made this festive season more special for Indian consumers by giving them a chance to get up, close and personal with Kareena. The campaign that started in mid-October saw over thousands of SMS entries, with the style diva's fans talking about why they want to spend an evening, shopping with her. Expressing his excitement over walking next to Kareena, and shopping, using her advice, Rishi said "I am a regular user of Sony Ericsson phones; in fact my last three phones have also been from this brand. The great user interface and the quality of features that are built in the Sony Ericsson devices make me a brand loyalist. Shopping with Kareena was unreal, an absolute adrenaline-rush. Now I will wear clothes that the style guru herself recommended." He bought the recently launched Sony Ericsson Hazel.

While Rishi thoroughly enjoyed his dream shopping date with Kareena, others who bought Sony Ercisson phones this season, got their hands on some really cool accessories bundled with a range of phones ' Xperia X10 and X10 Mini that came with three stylish colored snap-on covers in a selection of colors ranging from blue, red, white, pink and orange. Other popular models, including Hazel, Aspen, Aino, Vivaz pro, Vivaz, Naite, Elm & Zylo also came packed with some cool instant gifts.

For Kareena Kapoor, the effervescent Sony Ericsson brand ambassador, this was another chance to connect with her fans and know why they love her. According to her, "It is exciting to be associated with a dynamic brand like Sony Ericsson that brings together the very best of communication and entertainment experiences with one ultimate goal ' the user experience. I am a die-hard shopaholic myself and I absolutely jumped at the idea of this campaign. I always seek ways to connect with my fans and understand their perception about me and the contest actually served as a perfect platform to achieve that. Plus, there is nothing like being connected to the lives of your fans. As I am always on the move with my busy schedules, I frequently engage with my fans across the world on the Sony Ericsson Facebook community, telling them what is happening in my life, invite feedbacks from them or just engage with them casually. And, the real-time response from fans and friends just enthral you beyond limits!"

For the Sony Ericsson team, this contest has been one more way to connect with its consumers. Elaborating on the success of this contest, Anurag Kontu, Head of Marketing, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication India, said, "Sony Ericsson believes in innovating, and innovating for those who love experiencing. Our product portfolio and consumer campaigns resonate newness every time. With the success of "Shopping with Kareena' campaign, we have once again created a one-of-its kind promotion keeping in mind the festive fervor when consumers have shopping at the top of their to-do-list! We will continue to surprise Sony Ericsson and Kareena Kapoor fans with more!"

This festive season, Sony Ericsson has much to offer under its Xperia range with the introduction of Xperia X8, making the Xperia more accessible for its fans, by offering its star phones at competitive prices now. While the Xperia X10 is available at Rs. 28450, the Vivaz can be purchased at Rs. 19450, X10 Mini and Mini Pro can be yours for only Rs. 13350 and Rs. 16,500 respectively. The recently launched Xperia X8 comes at a festive price of Rs. 14,500, while GreenHeart Aspen and Cedar can be availed at Rs. 15,500 and Rs. 5,950 respectively.

Xperia X10 and Vivaz range of phones along with the GreenHeart series and walkman portfolio are available across all Sony Ericsson retail outlets. For more information on the products and their retail location, please call the following toll free numbers ' 1800111800 (MTNL/BSNL); 39011111 (others).