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Christmas has always been a time for sharing and connecting with family, and every year marketing agencies across the globe take it upon themselves to remind consumers of this fact. Once in a while however, a campaign comes along which sets itself apart from the rest, making it harder for consumers to react with cynicism… and maybe even eliciting a heartfelt smile instead. Telecoms company O2’s recent Xmas Card campaign, which saw the launch of the world’s first greeting card with the ability to make a phone call, may have succeeded in doing just that.

Developed in collaboration with German creative agency Interone, the campaign created a greetings card that features an integrated mic, speaker and SIM card that’s pre-loaded with a number chosen by the sender (typically their own). When the card is opened, the technology immediately dials the number and establishes a connection. The sender of the card can then use their phone to chat to the recipient in real time. You can see the card — which has now been filed as a patent — in action in the video below:

How else could innovative uses of technology give Christmas campaigns a boost to help them stand out from the crowd?