This year again, Santa Claus is in high demand. But there is no need to use premium rate numbers to reach him: there are free ways to contact him, and even see him on WhatsApp!
Here we go again for a ride! As the end-of-year holidays quickly approach, the most sought-after phone number is, unsurprisingly, that of Santa Claus. Because even if children – young or old… – don’t have the chance to meet him at the foot of a tree, in front of a fireplace or in a shopping center, nothing is lost! Indeed, there are many numbers, applications and websites that allow you to contact the famous bearded man. The opportunity for the toddlers to share their gift list and tell him that they have been very good – no need to lie! The problem is that many Santa Claus telephone numbers are premium rate – yes, any excuse is good to extract money… – and that some videos are chargeable – sometimes up to 20 euros! Luckily, the magic of Christmas isn’t completely extinct, you just need to know where to look! Because there are several truly free solutions to contact Santa Claus… and even see him on video!
So, this year again, Bouygues Telecom returns with its successful #AllôPapaNoël operation for the sixth consecutive time. To be able to talk to the big red man, nothing could be simpler! Santa Claus having become hyper connected, all you have to do is write to him on WhatsApp at 09 39 40 41 42 to receive a personalized video – not pre-recorded. A free service accessible to everyone from November 28, including those who are not with the operator. In the same spirit, a father set up an answering machine for his daughter last year so that she could leave a message for the big red man. Given its success, the issue was extended to all children. Here’s what to wait for while waiting for New Year’s Eve!
Warning: make sure you have typed the correct number before calling! People with very close phone numbers – within a single digit – have told us of constant, unintentional calls from users trying to reach Santa. So avoid annoying them inadvertently! To be sure not to make a mistake, you can scan this QR code directly:
To receive a completely personalized video from Santa, go to the WhatsApp app and send a message to 09 39 40 41 42, or directly scan the QR code above. You must write a text that the red man will declaim, indicating details that the child – or the adult – is the only one to know, such as his first name, that of one of his loved ones, the list of gifts that ‘he would like to receive the good things – or the stupid things – that he has done during the year… A few seconds later – it may take a little longer if the servers are too busy – you will receive in the WhatsApp conversation a video in which Santa Claus will recite the text you sent him from his office, the mail room, the gift factory, his living room, or even in front of his sleigh – in fact, this year, new decorations have been added. Since you can receive up to 15 messages per WhatsApp account, you can even make the child believe that the old man is watching him closely before the holidays – that will teach him to get into mischief! The lucky ones may even have the chance to meet Mother Christmas and win numerous gifts.
Note that this year, the operator has added a little new feature. You can now send a voice message from the app to receive a personalized response in the old man’s authentic voice. A new function added this year, which should delight little ones’ hearts! You can also share Christmas stories with your child. After creating a video on WhatsApp, Santa Claus offers to read you a personalized story lasting a few minutes, using a first name and two words of your choice. Something to please the little ones, but also have fun with your friends by sending them a fun message!
But behind a simple video lies in reality an immense amount of work, which required technological prowess. Bouygues Telecom had to ask the digital studio BETC Fullsix to create algorithms especially for the occasion. They then combined them with text-to-speech technology from the company Voxygen. Simply put, artificial intelligence (AI) performs linguistic analysis of the text to understand how words should be pronounced, then renders the audio in real time from a digital voice. Moreover, creating this voice required the recording of a specific lexical field by a real actor. The goal is to cover as many sounds of the French language as possible and expressions specific to the language of Santa Claus. It was from these recordings that the AI created a model of the famous red man’s voice. Finally, Bouygues Telecom did not miss the essential ChatGPT, which is used to generate personalized Christmas stories. Yes, that’s also the magic of Christmas!
It is also possible to contact Santa Claus directly on his phone’s voicemail by dialing 04 22 52 10 10. The child then comes across an answering machine where the old bearded man explains to him that he had to leave to go to the Christmas village to get new boots from the shoemaker, buy cakes and milk or even prepare presents with the elves. The little blonde head just has to leave him his first name and his list of desired gifts while promising to have been very good. Nothing revolutionary but it remains effective, especially when you know the little story behind it, since it is a man named Gilles Sauvaire, a telephone engineer on the Côte d’Azur and father of two children, who created this answering machine in 2013 for his daughter.
Portable Santa Claus (PNP) is another nice alternative since this service allows you to obtain a free personalized video. Just go to the website and enter the child’s first name and date of birth, attach a photograph and indicate one of his or her special features among those proposed in the list (has the most beautiful smile in the world, has magnificent hair, etc. .). A free video is then created from this information, in which Santa consults his big book of all the children in the world before wishing the child happy holidays! It is possible to have more content, like mini-films, but then you have to go to checkout.
