In the free daily newspaper "QUE" we launched a mysterious front-page barrage. Readers really only had time to wonder what that was all about while going into their usual underground stations, because before they could make any sense of it, two characters would simultaneously appear out of nowhere inside the stations. They were actors embodying Thomson and Thompson, the two secret police characters from Tintin who interacted in an improvisational way with the public. All the “QUE” readers knew that if they met up with Thomson and Thompson all they had to do was snap a photograph of them. The pictures, taken on their indispensable mobile phones, just had to be uploaded to a micro-site located on the free newspaper’s on-line site. That acted as a fun kind of passport that could win you a free trip to Belgium, where lovable little Tintin was brought to life by Hergé.

The micro-site managed to accumulate the highest amount of participation in the history of “QUE” promotions. Campaign recognition increased by over 80% in the core target during the campaign period. The premier was an extraordinary box-office success, bringing in over €5m over the weekend (4m more than its closest rival). Tintin managed not only to be the number one film during its premier week but also to stay on top of that list for three weeks and become one of the top five box-office success stories of the year.