Nokia's Giant Hamster Wheel At SXSW

Nokia has erected a human-sized hamster wheel at SXSW this year, as part of "The Green Zone" at the festival. The wheel can be used for charging any type of mobile device, and will be up through March 20th. It was created by creative agency 1000heads, and inspired by Nokia's campaign "it's not technology, it's what you do with it" from last year (video, complete with hamster, is included below). But our own Vincent Nguyen was not too impressed.

We hasten to add that this is not SlashGear's opinion, but Vincent Nguyen's. He said, "Metaphorically speaking, Nokia is running in a circle, chasing it's own tail — losing market share doing the same shit expecting different results. Ouch.

And here is the wheel:

Phil Hickey, the Global Digital Marketing Manager at Nokia said, "The Green Zone, Powered by Nokia is our way of delivering even further on our awesome sustainability credentials. The Hamster Wheel, inspired by an invention from our community, is a fun and playful way to add value to the SXSW experience and get the alternative energy message across in a truly interactive way. Also, if you happen to be in the area on St. Patrick's Day, we will have a special guest powering the wheel that will definitely be worth checking out!"

Nokia will also have bikes (more wheels) available for phone charging at the festival.

As promised, here is the video of Nokia's "it's not technology, it's what you do with it" ad, featuring the original hamster wheel.