Boost Mobile is using the economic woes to its advantage. The Sprint Nextel prepaid division unveiled the latest installment of its “unwronged” commercials, this time featuring a Santa Claus forced to make cutbacks because of high cell phone bills.
In the commercial, which begins airing today, Santa is forced to rely on “second-string” elves, like a 7-foot-tall one.
“Santa is cutting back; his workshop is looking a little tattered, his elves aren’t as chipper and he has traded in his reindeer for donkeys,” explains Neil Lindsay, chief marketing officer at Boost Mobile, in a press release. “Santa needs to switch to the Boost Mobile nationwide $50 Monthly Unlimited plan to help get his finances back on track.”
The TV spots begin airing today and run through the remainder of the year on 20 networks and cable TV stations, including NBC, FOX, ESPN, ABC Family, Bravo and TBS. The creative behind the ads is Boost’s advertising agency of record, 180LA.
The spot also features the Motorola Debut i856, Boost Mobile’s first push-to-talk slider phone.
Critics have described Boost’s previous ads – one of which features pigs dining on ham – as distasteful, but company executives have said they’re effective. Boost kicked off the prepaid wars early this year with its $50 all-inclusive plan without added taxes or fees.
Meanwhile, Alltel Wireless is still in the game, kicking off its holiday season with a new TV ad campaign highlighting Chad and the Sales Guys. TV viewers in Alltel’s markets will see the storyline continue with special guest actor Fred Willard. Willard played Robert Barone’s father-in-law in “Everybody Loves Raymond” and has been in films “This is Spinal Tap,” “Waiting for Guffman” and “Best in Show.”
Alltel’s commercials also feature the LG 8575 Touch phone and highlight the company’s one-year contract. Alltel offers service in 91 cellular market areas that Verizon Wireless is required to divest and continues to operate until the sale agreements with AT&T and Atlantic Tele-Network get the OK by the Department of Justice and FCC.
