Alcatel starts 20m global phone blitz

French telecoms company Alcatel is launching a 20m global advertising campaign in its first consumer branding push.

The campaign for Alcatel’s “One Touch” mobile phone range breaks this week. The UK campaign incorporates TV, cinema, national press and London taxi cab advertising.

Alcatel is better known as a telecoms manufacturer but now wants to push its consumer products.

The campaign targets “trend-setters” with black and white press ads in Sunday broadsheet supplements. The 30-second TV ad, which plays on a “Mission Impossible” theme, highlights the phone’s three-line message display.

Alcatel director of marketing and consumer communications Klaus Wustrack says the aim of the campaign is to build the brand through Alcatel products.

The One Touch phone is available at UK retailers for 79.99. It can be used to access e-mail and the Internet.

Paris agency Devarieuxvillaret, part of the Havas Advertising network, created the campaign. Media buying is through Zenith.