Cellnet to try out second youth brand

Cellnet launches a second pre-pay mobile package brand this week, called U, aimed at the youth market.

The company was the last of the big four mobile phone operators – Cellnet, Vodafone, One-2-One and Orange – to launch its pre-pay brand, Easylife, in August, but is the first to launch a second brand. Under pre-pay schemes, consumers buy cards to slot into the mobile rather than running up a bill.

The launch of U will supported by a TV, print, radio, poster and cinema advertising campaign created by Abbott Mead Vickers. BBDO.

TV executions break during The Big Breakfast this Friday and the cinema advertisement will run with new movie release Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, breaking on November 20.

The campaign shows typical dilemmas faced by 16- to 24-year-olds and asks the audience to decide what they would do, with the tagline “It’s your call”, incorporating the U thumbprint logo.

The U brand is the brainchild of marketing director Kent Thexton, who was appointed in June: “The flexibility of no subscription, no bills, no contract and no credit check clearly appeals to this age group.”

Cellnet is believed to be in talks with a major retailer about stocking the U packages, which retail for 99.99 including 10 of free calls. Easylife has been reduced to the same price until January 31. Call-time vouchers will be available from units of 10.

Cellnet has sold 100,000 Easylife packages in three months and believes 16- to 24-year-olds will drive pre-pay growth, expected to double to 2 million users by March next year.