June 3 2003

The UK MVNO, Virgin Mobile is to launch a new tariff of just 3p per SMS message, when sent from one Virgin Mobile customer to another Virgin Mobile customer within the UK. Other networks typically charge 10p per message.

The move is likely to spark a price war in the mobile telecommunications industry, by hugely undercutting many of its rivals' tariffs and by creating a strong point of difference for both existing and new customers. The aggressive price cuts will be supported by the biggest ever advertising campaign in the company's history.

The 3p text tariff is the first change that Virgin Mobile has made to its simple, flat rate pay structure since it launched three years ago.

Virgin Mobile's Sir Richard Branson said: "Virgin is well known for shaking up the market place, and with this aggressive price cut, we aim to do just that again. Texting is phenomenally popular with the young and young at heart, with whom Virgin is already a well-loved brand. We want to reward these customers, and their family and friends, for their support, which has made Virgin Mobile the number one network for texters in the UK."

The activity will be supported by a £5 million campaign on cinema, TV, radio and press - Virgin Mobile's largest ever through the line campaign. The TV ad launches on 2nd May and hopes are high that it will be even more popular than its cult 'Wyclef' ads.

The tongue in cheek ad is set in an old Eastern European hospital where patients are literally bored out of their minds. The ads, which are in 60", 30" and 10" formats, show listless patients using their thumbs to cause mischief and wreak havoc on their fellow patients and nurses - repeatedly pressing a light switch on and off, shaving another patient's bushy eyebrows, stapling a nurse's skirt to a desk and pulling her bra strap from behind - all crucially using their thumbs.

The ad closes with the strap line "The Devil Makes Work for Idle Thumbs. Keep Yours Busy. Text Another Virgin Mobile For Only 3p".
 

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