Generally I'm not a fan of flash mobs - usually a bit gimmicky due to lack of a decent creative idea, but this one from T-Mobile (Saatchi & S) really does stand out as a very good and part of a larger integrated campaign.
“Life is for Sharing” has been T-Mobile’s strapline since June 08, based on a couple of key insights into our “digital generation” - relationships and collaboration.
Sadly T-Mobile haven’t made much impact with the “Life’s for Sharing” campaign, unlike O2‘s “We’re better, connected”. I’m not sure of the actual figures but it appears that T-Mobile are lagging well behind O2, Vodafone, 3, and Orange when it comes to building their UK brands.
The new campaign has all the right ingredients for T-Mobile to kick on further, hopefully Saatchi & Saatchi’s efforts won’t be in vain.
The three-minute flash mob ad premiered during an entire ad break during Channel 4’s 'Celebrity Big Brother' on Friday night, less than 48 hours after filming. It was subsequently posted on a tailored YouTube site.
What makes the campaign so good?
It ticks four of the boxes that brands need to adopt when targeting the “digital generation” (under 30’s basically) namely collaboration, entertainment, speed and innovation.
Collaboration is at the heart of web 2.0. The “digital generation“ are natural collaborators developing relationships and sharing information and their experiences. The T-Mobile ad is already being discussed amongst bloggers and on websites. There’s a customised YouTube channel all set up and ready for video sharing, an aspect of the campaign expected to accompany the 30 second edits. Not to mention the commuters at Liverpool Street who were recording live images, mms’ing, txt’ing and calling mates about what they were witnessing.
Liverpool Street station, traditionally a transport hub for London’s commuters was for 3 minutes turned into a 350 person dance studio. The entire event was subsequently turned into a 3 minute ad break during Celebrity Big Brother. To quote Paul Weller, “That’s entertainment”.
Live event to TV ad in 48 hours, speedy turnaround times from Saatchi’s production department, and exactly what the “digital generation” expects.
A stand alone flash mob isn’t innovative by any stretch of the imagination, but this is an innovative integrated on and offline campaign. The dance routine, the execution, the turnaround time, the understanding of the ”digital” target audience and the strategic planning … that’s what makes this T-Mobile campaign so innovative.
Time will tell whether this T-Mobile is a true success, who knows maybe Saatchi’s can finally drag T-Mobile out of the “mobile doldrums”.
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