Cape Town - Squeezing a couch cushion or tossing it into the air comes normally to most when watching a stressful soccer game.
But with MWeb’s new tweeting couch, these actions end in users joining the global conversations surrounding the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The #MWEBTweetSeat was unveiled at Amadoda Restaurant in Woodstock, where guests were invited to try it out.
The 2.1m-long couch, custom built in Cape Town, tweets “#Laduuma!” or “#GoHomeRef!” when the printed cushions are squeezed or tossed into the air while watching a game in a wi-fi zone.
“Soccer is a prime example of how, from the comfort of a couch, and with access to MWeb’s uncapped wi-fi, you can take part in a global conversation while keeping your eyes glued to the match. The beauty of the #MWEBTweetSeat is that viewers can now multitask and what better way to express your joy or dissatisfaction with your team by tossing a cushion into the air, “ said Carolyn Holgate, general manager of MWeb Connect, in a statement.
“The innovative #MWEBTweetSeat is also tapping into the global ‘second screen’ trend – connecting to social networks via a digital device while watching TV.
“As the culture of always being connected wherever you are grows, we’ve seen a change in how people use the internet and wi-fi over the past few years, and with events such as the soccer World Cup, the trend of interacting with televised or streamed content via web-enabled devices is certainly a defining internet behaviour of our era.”
It was estimated that 3.6 billion viewers tuned into the soccer matches while about 70 percent of fans were using their cellphones while watching matches.
“If each of the 3.6 billion viewers watched 10 games and spent five minutes tweeting per game, that would add up to a whopping 126 billion collective minutes spent looking at a second screen instead of the TV during the World Cup period.
“I’m sure every diehard sports fan would love to have the #MWEBTweetSeat to watch the game on while engaging on social media without interruption,” Holgate said.
The couch is set to leave Cape Town soon and travel to Johannesburg, before being placed in areas where there was public demand.
* Visit the couch on Twitter on @MWEBTweetSeat
Cape Times