The Metro newspapers in New York, Boston and Philadelphia have launched a new SMS campaign. Metro is placing a daily question on the front page of its edition and encouraging readers to text in an answer for the opportunity to win a $250 Visa gift card. Results are shown the following day in the papers’ Voices section.

Dave Everett, vice president and partner at KaOoga Mobile which is powering the SMS service, describes the messages as a “’mobile magnate’ – it actually stays on the phone of the person who texted.”

Metro will give advertisers a chance to join in the texting service through bounce back messaging, print exposure, and prize sponsorship. Personalized messages are in development. The ad packages are customizable both in terms of exposure and monthly and annual rates.