Glasgow Cone Challenge, launched by Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB), is a fun and free to download mobile game which challenges players to score points by throwing traffic cones onto the Duke of Wellington’s head.

The iconic bronze statue of the Duke astride his horse – outside Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) on Queen Street – is globally famous for the fluorescent orange traffic cone ‘hat’ that the Duke has worn off and on (but more frequently on!) for more than 20 years.

The traditional ‘coning’ is seen by many as a reflection of Glasgow’s renowned, irreverent sense of humour and is firmly embedded in the city’s culture.

From GoMA to Glasgow City Chambers, the game features imagery of key Glasgow attractions, comprising: The Glasgow School of Art; Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum; the Riverside Museum and The Tall Ship; the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre’s Clyde Auditorium and the Finnieston Crane.

Social media interaction is a key feature of the game, allowing players to engage – and challenge – their friends by posting their scores on their own Twitter and Facebook pages.

In addition, the latest tweets from GCMB’s Twitter page also appear as a real-time feed on the game’s homepage, providing players with up-to-the-minute information about what’s happening in the city as well as the opportunity to enter future Glasgow Cone Challenge competitions.

Tom Rice, Head of Marketing at Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said the app presented a ‘strong viral marketing opportunity, enabling ex-pats and Glasgow fans all over the world to engage with the city and share information about it with their own networks’.

He added: “The launch of Glasgow Cone Challenge is part of our ongoing digital strategy to engage with existing and potential customers on a global scale, through what is a new and exciting route to market.

“Not only is this a fun app, it’s also a real-time information resource, which will further strengthen Glasgow’s competitive position in the global marketplace by showcasing the city’s appeal to a potential audience of 73 million iPhone users in more than 80 countries worldwide.”

Glasgow Cone Challenge has been developed in partnership by city-based creative agencies O Street and One Thumb Mobile. Glasgow City Marketing Bureau is also looking into developing and launching the app on Google’s Android operating system.

David Freer, Creative Director at O Street, said: “We were delighted when Glasgow City Marketing Bureau asked us to create the Cone Challenge app.

“The traffic cone on the Duke’s head is an image that is famous the world over and it has become synonymous with the Glaswegian sense of humour.

“The mobile apps market has grown exponentially over the past 18 months, as more and more people use their smartphone to play games and interact with social networking sites, so we felt this was the perfect way to capture the imagination of a global audience and to promote Glasgow’s appeal in an engaging and innovative way.”

Glasgow Cone Challenge for the iPhone, iTouch and iPad can be downloaded free at www.seeglasgow.com/glasgowcone.