'Phone or Die' in Bed Stuy
If the Bed Stuy edition of the new locally-targeted ad campaign from Virgin Mobile is any indication, Branson et al should probably get back to the drawing board before the national roll-out. Here’s the text: When people close their eyes and think of Brooklyn, your legendary brownstones come to mind. That’s because everyone from rappers…
If the Bed Stuy edition of the new locally-targeted ad campaign from Virgin Mobile is any indication, Branson et al should probably get back to the drawing board before the national roll-out. Here’s the text:
When people close their eyes and think of Brooklyn, your legendary brownstones come to mind. That’s because everyone from rappers to directors have used you as the backdrop for stories about life in the neighborhood that has everything. Do or Die is more than a moniker. It speaks to the fact that you don’t take crap from anyone. Especially newcomers who want to change Bed-Stuy into some sort of yuppie strip mall. With us you only make changes if you want. That’s the beauty of our cell phone plans without annual contracts. Because Bed-Stuy, we know you call your own shots.
It’s a good thing Virgin Mobile has been so entrenched in the community for so long and isn’t trying to exploit it for commercial purposes! Check out another of the ads that up along the BQE on the jump.
u guys are gentrifying the sh.. outta bed stuy and brooklyn and now ure getting mad. foh! theyre calling it like every other new yorker sees it. thank god.
i agree with one of the first posters, u gentrifiers doth protest too much.
i miss the old new york.
u guys are gentrifying the shit outta bed stuy and brooklyn and now ure getting mad. foh! theyre calling it like every other new yorker sees it. thank god.
i agree with one of the first posters, u gentrifiers doth protest too much.
i miss the old new york.
Yeah, people. Chill! The UES ad makes “Dean Collins” “lol” and he’s, like, totally from there.
Lol- chill people I think these ads are fantastic and well done (lol – maybe because the UES is my local and I think the copy in that one is funny).
Thanks Virgin for trying to do something different rather than just boring crappy brand awareness marketing.
Cheers,
Dean Collins
http://www.collins.net.pr/blog
BED-STUY, YOU SCARE US.
The truth is, we at Virgin are too scared to come to your neighborhood because don’t want to get shot. Don’t you know, we make most of our money from people who don’t have good enough credit to get a real cell phone contract? That’s why we’re advertising to you people. We how how important it is that you can make your booty calls and score some smoke. And with our plans, you can put them on hold indefinitely while you’re in the joint for armed robbery or carjacking. That’s the beauty of our cell phone plans without contracts. Thanks Bed-Stuy. Please don’t shoplift our phones.
oh, by the way-i know scores of successful white people moving into bed stuy, and plenty who already live there. why? because it’s beautiful and (just) affordable, and the neighborhood spirit is strong. oops! mother & virgin and the whole damn lot of you- looks like you didn’t do your homework. surprise, surprise!
Actually, the British ad agency (Mother) is the one producing the good, witty, on-point Virgin ads. London is a very vibrant, diverse place and very similar to Brooklyn in many ways. This campaign is from the ad agency consisting of frat boys from North Caronlina.
Better than write a new Bed Stuy ad, let’s offer our suggestions for a Virgin ad for Durham, North Carolina.
I’ll start:
DURAM, YOU RULE
You have the tenacity to overcome rape charges and go on to reach the national championship. Sure you’re sexist, racist frat boys who hire strippers with mommy and daddy’s money and you may fantasize in emails about violent rapes, but at least you haven’t acted those fantasies yet. That’s why you need Virgin Mobile’s pay as you go plans. No contract and no commitments so you can save your monthly allowance for the big kegger next week and you’re not tied into a contract while you’re waiting to get acquitted.
Presenting a plan as awesome and innocent as you: Durham, You Rule.
If there was truth in advertising this is what the ad would’ve read like:
BED-STUY YOU SUCK
That’s what other Brooklyn people say. But we couldn’t possibly know, because we’re a British company who’s never settled foot in your neighbourhood and the only reason we know you exist is because reseach says most of your population is black and poor and have no credit history which is perfect for selling our service so we hired this agency with guys that got college degrees on Brooklyn studies and watched “Do The Right Thing” at least twice to praise whatever your neighbourhood has to offer. We don’t have a clue what that is because we’re never 10 blocks away from the Waldorf whenever we’re in New York. Anyways, try our shit, you’ll like it.
This is proof most advertising people are semi-educated white males in ivory towers who get most of their cultural knowledge watching movies and focus groups because they wouldn’t dare to go where real people hang out.