Sending money to India could become a melodious function for those choosing a ‘Singing Telegram’ to go with the moolah.
Western Union has created an interactive online platform that allows customers to choose from a variety of well-known voices including Sunidhi Chauhan, K’naan, Snoop Doog and Timbaland.
Among the songs available are ‘Call Me,’ ‘Valentine’ (Sunidhi), ‘Happy Birthday,’ ‘Leaving on a jet plane’ (K’naan), ‘Pretty Woman,’ ‘Life of the Party’ (Snoop Dogg), ‘This Lady,’ ‘Drummer Boy’ (Timbaland).
Western Union Ventures President and Western Union Chief Marketing Officer Diane Scott said that the interactive online platform enables consumers to emotionally connect with their loved ones when sending money.
“It creates a digital singing telegram for music and tech lovers to perform virtually with a recording artist and then send the video to friends and family through social networks. Consumers can create a singing telegram and select songs recorded by each performer,” she said.
She said the service created a novel method for consumers around the world to show their loved ones they care about them.
“The singing telegram is a natural fit for us to help consumers around the world to virtually connect with their family and friends, giving them the gift of music and their personal image and voice,” she said.
Customers can create a singing telegram online www.wu-singingtelegram.com or www.westernunion.com. They could upload a photo of their face, select gender and choose an artiste and song to sing along with the performer using lyrics streamed on the screen.
They could then review and watch their digitised performance with their face and voice on a human avatar and send the personalised duet to the recipient.
The product however is not new to the global market.
Western Union introduced singing telegrams on July 27, 1933, with a message sent from its office in New York City.
Since then the innovative idea has captured customers all over the world and the growing importance of the Indian market prompted the company to launch the new service.
Ms Scott said the Western Union Singing Telegram Service and the Western Union ‘World of Betters’ are programmes aligned to the company’s ‘Moving Money for Better’ branding concept.
“While sustaining the company’s 160-year history of innovation and helping people improve lives and connecting individuals and families around the world, the new branding elements depict visual timelines that invite consumers to be a part of the worldwide campaign,” she said.
