Celebrity gossip meets reality show, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and, of course, smartphones and mobile phone service in the “Sparah” ad campaign that is Virgin Mobile USA’s. Now, followers can see the third episode in the couple’s story, all manufactured by Virgin Mobile for Virgin Mobile. It also happens to feature a cameo by Morgan Spurlock, director of “Pom Wonderful: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.”
It might seem an unconventional way of marketing if it weren’t Virgin Mobile, known for edgier (to put it politely) advertising, but even by Virgin Mobile’s standards, it’s kind of “out there.” The company, one of Sprint’s prepaid brands, along with ad agency Mother New York, conducted a casting call of thousands – for real – to find two unknowns, whose real names are Spencer Falls and Sarah Carroll, to pretend to be a celebrity couple, complete with a rented mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
The two didn’t know each other before the stunt, but you can see how they meet via the episodes posted on Virgin Mobile’s Facebook page. Today, followers can see what happens after their first meeting in the swimming pool, at www.facebook.com/virginmobilelive.
It’s early days and a marathon, not a sprint, but so far, so good. “Right now, it’s a lot of fun,” says Ron Faris, director of brand marketing for Virgin Mobile USA. “We never changed their names – Sarah and Spencer are their actual names. We’re giving full transparency into how blatantly we’re contriving [this].”
There will a minimum of 13 Webisodes on Facebook that tell the story, kind of like a TV reality series online. The two are contracted to appear in an integrated marketing campaign, complete with TV spots, product endorsements, photo shoots, store openings and appearances at events like Virgin Mobile’s annual FreeFest summer music festival.
Sure, there are risks galore. Maybe the two will start hating on one another (although they both like “Entourage,” according to their individual Facebook pages, so they’ve got that going), or any number of scandals could erupt like those of some other high-profile reality show stars. But Virgin Mobile is willing to take that chance – and you can bet the contracts and associated documents have been vetted by lawyers.
Faris readily admits the legal and PR teams “made us very aware” of the risks associated, and that’s part of what made it appealing. Virgin always has done things a little different – to wit, founder Sir Richard Branson – but it’s the only way to break through all the noise in the wireless services space. Whether the couple becomes really famous or not, it’s all about the ride, Faris says.
The stunt has even got the endorsement of Branson himself, who appeared in the first kick-off theme commercial. Even though Virgin Mobile USA was sold to Sprint in 2009, he remains a brand ambassador and “co-conspirator” for it.
Whether Virgin Mobile’s ads are tasteful or not, Faris says that’s subjective. What the company is interested in is making campaigns that are talked about in a world dominated by the big boys of wireless. “We’re thrilled to change that conversation,” he says.
You could say “provocative” is in Virgin Mobile’s DNA. After all, Branson himself launched the brand in New York’s Times Square in 2002 in near-naked attire to show how the brand has nothing to hide.
Faris veers away from talking about one of Sprint’s other prepaid brands, Boost Mobile, leaving that to the folks at Boost, but when pressed, he says Virgin Mobile is probably focused more on lifestyle and culture and music, where Boost is more of a mass brand focused on being heard. Virgin is all about web, data and social networking; in its Sparah marketing, the company shamelessly plugs its unlimited web, data and messaging plans.
Virgin Mobile has certainly made some right marketing calls in the past. It’s the sponsor of Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour, which according to Billboard, is the highest-grossing tour ever by an artist on their debut album. On the “do-gooder” front, Virgin Mobile is heavily involved in helping homeless youth, including through its relationship with the mega-star herself. During each show, Lady Gaga would call a fan in the audience on a Virgin Mobile phone and Virgin Mobile would make a donation to the cause.
If even a little bit of the Lady Gaga phenomenon has brushed off on Virgin Mobile, it’s no doubt worth every penny. Same goes for the “slightly” lesser-known Sparah.
