Here’s an overview of current mobile phone advertising campaigns in Australia, featuring work for Three, Orange, Optus, Virgin, Telstra and Vodafone. Also see Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, a valuable source of information on the culture surrounding mobile phones in Australia and New Zealand. Not that Australians tend to talk about mobile phones rather than cell phones.
Hutchison run two of the brands in the Australian telecommunication market.
Three
Launched three years ago, Three’s inroad into the youth culture of Australia is through the sponsorship of Channel Ten’s Big Brother program.
And then there are the TV spots – ads featuring puppets that remind me of Thunderbirds. Fabio Nardo, who directed the ads, is also known for illustrating childrens books. You can see the ads streamed at Filmgraphics, Sydney. Go to “Live Action”, click on Fabio Nardo, and choose Hutchison 3 What to Wear and Bath Towel.
Orange
Orange seems a relative newcomer to Australia. It’s big in the UK from what I can see from their advertising campaigns there. Their earlier campaign was entitled “Now Talk”, but has been replaced with a new campaign focusing on really cheap text messages. The TV ads show children demonstrating fair tactics, including divvying up Smarties, dividing a chocolate bar between two, and pouring equal portions of orange juice. As the ads say, Orange’s rates apply “all day, every day”.
Optus
OptusVirgin Mobile would be the company that is most persistent in competing for the attention of young people. They probably have the most suggestive television commercials.
They got the attention of the advertising world with their three spots called “Warren”, directed by The Glue Society. A young man tells us how available he is, and reminds us that if we are both on Virgin Mobile we can text each other at very cheap rates.
Virgin’s photo messaging is promoted with three spots featuring a Ming Mong Match between a young boy and an older man. They compete to see who can send photographs with the wittiest insulting remarks. Virgin Mobile’s work is created by advertising agency Host. Once again directed by The Glue Society.
The last set of ads for Virgin features a midget dancing to UK dance tracks. Obviously Virgin’s trying to get themselves associated with the dance club scene. Photo messaging, sending with witty remarks can lead you to victory. It’s all to promote the cheap rate of texting between Virgin Mobile phones – only 5 Cents. The phrase we’re given: “Get Tighter with Your Posse”. And again, directed by The Glue Society. These are all shown in flv format on the Glue Society web site.
Telstra
Telstra, the major network in Australia, doesn’t seem to have a strong advertising campaign aimed at the youth market. Well, not that I’ve seen on the web anyway.
Vodafone
Vodafone, with their motto ‘do it your way’, have television advertising but I haven’t been able to find it online.
actually… i think that Orange and 3 are the same thing in different clothes…
From Hutchison’s Australian web site:
Our principal activities include the operation of the Orange communications business as the provider of choice for value based voice and messaging services; and pioneering the introduction of content-rich, mobile multimedia services under the global brand 3.