Phones4U launches #projectupgrade to capitalise on 4G

Phones4U is to launch a major campaign this weekend to drive awareness of its partner network of mobile networks and handset brands, as it readies itself for a 4G boon.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZAYxttPUWA

The through-the-line campaign kicks off this weekend with two 40 second TV spots that will feature Phones4U employees ‘upgrading’ newly single people by giving them better ‘other halves’ (see video).  

This will be supported by outdoor, press and in-store ads with Phones4U also placing an unprecedented focus on its use of social media using the hashtag  #projectupgrade to offer users the opportunity to ‘upgrade their lives’. 

For instance, it will offer premium cups of coffee to people that ask to have their morning upgraded and other more lucrative prizes will also be available to those who engage with the campaign.  

Caspar Nelson, Phones4U’s head of brand communications, says: “Key to the success of this campaign will be our social media engagement, which is why we’re backing  the activity with a £1m investment, enabling us to interact with more people than ever before by providing genuine, real-life upgrades to people’s lives across the country.”  

The campaign, developed by Adam & Eve DDB, is scheduled to run until at least the end of the year, with the social media executions handled by its in-house team.   

The campaign is also designed to attract a wide range of customers, according to Nelson, who adds that another primary aim is to attract people who may have formerly upgraded their package directly with their network operator as per its most recent marketing activity. 

“Earlier research [Phones4U commissioned] showed that a lot of people weren’t aware they could upgrade with an independent retailer. There’s a myth out there that they had to do it with their operator,” he says. 

He also adds that another key aim behind the timing of the campaign is to raise awareness of the brand ahead of some high-profile handset launches in the coming weeks. 

The retailer is also anticipating an increase in consumer demand as O2, Vodafone and other operators prepare to join EE in offering 4G services. Nelson claims that their, inevitable, accompanying marketing campaigns will ”not pose a threat” to Phones4U’s ambitions.

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