Watch CBS News

Smartphone Battery Firm To Send St. Bernards Carrying Battery Packs To SXSW Attendees With Dead Phones

AUSTIN, Texas (CBS SF) -- A smartphone accessory firm has a plan to save battery-drained attendees at the South by Southwest 2015 festival by sending them a rescue St. Bernard dog carrying a reserve battery pack.

Orange County-based Mophie is teaming up with a rescue group to provide the dogs known for saving people in the Swiss Alps. The St. Bernard Rescue Foundation said it hope to get attendees to adopt them from their organization after the festival.

SXSW festival-goers whose smartphones are dying can tweet out a screen shot of their phone with the hashtag #mophieRescue. Mophie will then send out a rescue St. Bernard with a human handler to deliver the extra battery power in the traditional barrel around the dog's neck.

"They are obviously traditionally known for saving peoples' lives so we took that and molded it into our own thing," Kevin Malinowski of Mophie's marketing department told USA Today.

SXSW is the annual music, film and interactive festivals and conferences held in Austin, Texas which began in 1987 and has grown yearly. SXSW 2015 runs from March 13-22.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.