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Immersion and Thumbkandi Launch First-Ever Tactile Animated Emoji and Sticker Collection Featuring Club América Soccer Club
Fans can now feel headers, kicks and blocks from their favorite team
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ:IMMR), the leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, and Thumbkandi, a global messaging and fan engagement platform, today launched a new interactive messaging experience with Immersion’s TouchSense® technology. Together, the two companies have released a collection of tactile animated emoji and video stickers, featuring Club América – the premier soccer team from Mexico City – that enables fans to feel the action in the mobile messaging app as players kick, juggle soccer balls, block and score.
The collection, celebrating Club América’s standings in the Mexican Liga championship and its recent title in CONCACAF Champion’s League, has been released to thank fans and get them ready to show their support for the pursuit of the championship title. Fans can access the collection by downloading the free Thumbkandi app, available for supported android version, on Google Play. Once they have connected with their friends, they will be able to purchase and send emoji or stickers that feel like the physical action of the animated image, such as the soft swooshing sensation of the ball hitting the back of the net versus a hard metal feeling when the ball reflects off the goal post. The collection features a variety of animated emoji and stickers designed with this type of tactile sensation.
“Thumbkandi and Club América are the first to launch this exciting new experience with touch for their fans,” said Sergio De Acha, regional head for North America/Europe at Immersion. “Messaging and social media have successfully brought people together in digital media. The collection of stickers, made with Immersion’s TouchSense technology, creates a more engaging experience on Thumbkandi’s messaging service and lets Club América give fans a personal experience with its brand.”
“We have some of the most loyal fans in soccer, and we are constantly looking for ways to engage them with unique and meaningful experiences,” said Patricia Marchak, international director of Club América. “We always embrace the latest technology to bring the fans closer to the team, and this collaboration with Immersion and Thumbkandi lets us offer this first-of-its-kind experience to our global fan base.”
“Fan engagement through the Thumbkandi messaging platform brings global sports communities together,” said John Litz, the founder and CEO of Thumbkandi. “Club América was the first to recognize the value that our platform provides in engaging its fans with branded emoji and stickers. We’re thrilled to help Club América and the global soccer community broaden its engagement and adopt Immersion’s technology to offer soccer fans a deeper connection, the ability to share their experiences and express their emotions with the sense of touch.”
More information on the collaboration between Immersion, Thumbkandi and Club América can be found at: www.immersion.com/
About Club América (http://www.clubamerica.com.
Club América’s 100-year history has been marked by unparalleled achievements. Some of the most recent triumphs include consistently making it to the Playoffs, Finals and winning the championship of Liga MX consecutively in 2013 and 2014. This was the Aguila’s 12th title, making them the most winning Club in Liga MX history. Additionally, in 2015 Club América won the CONCACAF Champions League. Their fan following continues to expand across both Mexico and the United States, as the Club consistently claims some of the highest Liga MX TV ratings and attendance across both countries. Recently, the Club was crowned once again as Champion of the 2016 CONCACAF Champions League and stands at the top of the standings of the current Torneo de Clausura 2016 in Liga MX.
About Thumbkandi (https://www.facebook.com/
Headquartered in San Francisco, Thumbkandi is a free global messaging fan engagement platform available in 156 countries on all android and iOS devices. Thumbkandi provides fans unique fun ways to engage more intimately with their favorite sports teams and athletes in the messaging space. Expanding rapidly both domestically and internationally, Thumbkandi brings fans across the globe together, installed in 133 countries within Thumbkandi’s first 30 days of launch.
About Immersion (www.immersion.com)
Founded in 1993, Immersion (NASDAQ:IMMR) is the leading innovator in haptic technology. The company’s touch feedback solutions deliver a more compelling sense of the digital world. Using Immersion’s high-fidelity haptic systems, partners can transform user experiences with unique and customizable touch feedback effects; excite the senses in games and videos; restore “mechanical” feel by providing intuitive and unmistakable confirmation; may improve safety by reducing distractions while driving; provide realistic touch feedback when performing robotic medical procedures and training simulations; and expand usability when audio and visual feedback are ineffective. Immersion’s technology has been adopted in 3 billion digital devices, and provides haptics in mobile phone, automotive, gaming, medical, and consumer electronics products from world-class companies. With over 2,200 issued or pending patents in the U.S., China and other countries, Immersion helps bring the digital universe to life. Learn more at www.immersion.com.