Virgin Mobile moves on from Doug Pitt
The other Pitt
Virgin Mobile is to part ways with brand ambassador Doug Pitt – brother of Hollywood megastar Brad – as the mobile operator prepares for a fresh campaign coming up in July.
Nicole Bardsley, Virgin Mobile’s head of brand and communications, told Mumbrella: “Our brand is growing up, and so are our customers. We’re not the sort of brand that rests on its laurels, and are constantly looking for the next big idea.”
“Yes, the Doug Pitt ‘Fair Go Bro’ campaign was a big success for us, and we haven’t closed the door to using him entirely. But we’re now exploring new creative avenues for the next campaign.”
She added that Pitt had expressed interest in continuing to represent the brand.
Moving on from Pitt would come despite Virgin Mobile reporting last year that ‘Fair Go Bro’ had helped raise brand awareness and consideration by more than a fifth during the campaign period.
Bardsley said that it had generated $5m in PR value, decreased customer churn by 25 per cent, and led to the best-ever company sales in the quarter that it ran.
Brad Pitt’s less famous brother was rolled out in a large-scale campaign, devised by PR firm One Green Bean and ad agency Havas Worldwide (formerly Euro RSCG) last July, on the grounds that he deserved “a fair go”.
The campaign was regarded as one of the best of 2012, and Virgin Mobile was only narrowly beaten by AAMI to Mumbrella’s advertiser of the year.
It kicked off online, around the campaign website fairgobro.com.au, then went above-the-line with a series of TV ads, combined with PR activity that included a competition to join Pitt’s entourage and an attempt to rebrand Sydney’s Pitt Street to Doug Pitt Street – which was politely declined by Sydney’s Mayor Clover Moore.
Bardsley said that the same mix of agencies – which includes media agency Starcom and brand identity firm Generation Alliance – would be used for the forthcoming campaign this winter, but would not disclose details of the new campaign, which is still under development.
Havas Worldwide took on the Virgin Mobile account in June 2012 from Publicis Mojo Sydney, which was behind the Robin Da Hood “Fair go” campaign.
Robin Hicks
I found that whole Doug Pitt thing cold and creepy….
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Reckon Virgin is lacking a brand strategy..
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Bardsley – you are brilliant.
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Do you also find cute puppies cold and creepy?
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Dwayne: Doug Pitt found you cold and creepy!
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