News 2002
Virgin Mobile to sell 'sex over the phone'
21/01/2002
- Virgin Mobile appoints 'adult services' team
- Flirt Alert - real time text flirting service to be launched on Valentine's Day
- Virgin Mobile sponsors world's biggest blind date and Mardi Gras
Virgin Mobile, the UK's fifth network, today announced that it has created a dedicated team to develop adult-orientated services for customers on the Virgin Mobile network.
The company aims to establish itself as the network for cheeky fun on the phone, and plans to launch a series of innovations which will appeal to its adult single, straight, gay, and (even!) married customers who have an open mind to sex and relationships.
Virgin Mobile has appointed a team in its marketing division to develop 'adult' content, led by the gorgeous Nick White, head of VirginXtras.
The mobile entertainment market is forecast to be worth £2 billion by 2006* - a large part of which is expected to be generated by adult content, as well as gaming and gambling and other mass market consumer services.
The services
First up, is Virgin Mobile's 'Flirt Alert' service. This will let mobile users flirt, tantalise and tease other mobile users by anonymous text messages. And, being open-minded, Virgin Mobile will let its customers flirt with up to five others at any one time!
To flirt on their phone, customers:
- 1. Register by sending a text message to a shortcode and then choosing a username, such as Superman, Hot One or Buffy!
2. Tell the administrator your location by town or city - optional
3. Choose who you want to flirt with: male to female, male to male, female to male, female to female or lucky dip!
4. You can choose to send 'fun' flirty messages or 'hot' flirty messages, and to be matched up with like-minded individuals in your area.
The company has invested in systems that allow users to preserve their anonymity, and anyone sending obscene messages will be barred from the service. Flirters also have the option to block messages from other users at any time if they no longer wish to receive messages from them.
The Flirt Alert service will be launched on Valentine's Day and be available to all Virgin Mobile's 1.5 million customers.
Virgin Mobile's gorgeous Nick White said: "The Flirt Alert service is a bit of fun. Arguably it's a progression of what people already spend time doing with their mobiles - which is to send flirty text messages to their loved ones... or potential loved-ones."
"By using our new service, customers can find a like-minded individual to flirt with at any time of the day or night, instead of sending a drunken text at three o'clock in the morning to an ex-lover or even work colleague! And with no risk of your identity or phone number being revealed it is all good, clean fun!"
"Virgin Mobile is the sexiest service - and there'll be more exciting content coming soon."
Flirt Alert has been launched in partnership with The Sensible Group, a globally-based mobile and new media entertainment company.
More 'adult services' will be introduced by Virgin Mobile through 2002 and beyond.
The sponsorships
Virgin Mobile today also announced headline sponsorships of two high-profile events at which the Flirt Alert service (and more) will be promoted.
The company is sponsoring the Desperate & Dateless Ball in aid of the British Red Cross. The event, to be held in London on February 16th and hosted by Channel 4's Graham Norton, has been imported from Australia where it has been running for 15 years. Each ball-goer will be matched with a blind date in an attempt to make it the biggest blind date ever.
Virgin Mobile is also a main sponsor at this year's Mardi Gras - Europe's biggest gay and lesbian festival - to be held on July 6th in London.
The sponsorships are designed to support the company's ambition to be the network and service of choice among the young-at-heart and gay markets.
The marketing
Virgin Mobile's latest ad campaign has set the tone for the company's more risqué approach to mobile services, with several of its posters featuring humorous images on a sexual theme. One shows a bondage scene and another a transvestite on a Jerry Springer-like chat show - they promote the company's fun approach to mobile products and services, and helped Virgin Mobile attract 264,000 new customers to its network in the last three months of 2001.
Contacts:
Virgin Mobile press office: 0845 600 6272 or pressoffice@virginmobile.com
Alison Bonny - 07802 430 276
Steven Day - 07931 777 777
Sasha Bradbury - 020 7208 2708
Maggie Cousins, The Sensible Group - 07780 678 464, info@sensiblegroup.com.
Notes to editors:
*Forecast by Jupiter MMXI. European forecast expenditure expected to reach £2bn by 2006 according to a recent report authored by Olivier Beauvillain
*Photography of Nick White with others from the Virgin Mobile Adult Services Team is available on request
Flirt Alert Security
The service is for over 16s only.
The service keeps personal details private, and texts are anonymous at all times. Virgin Mobile strongly advises users not to give personal details or their mobile phone number in the body copy of their texts.
Virgin Mobile uses a filter which can bar obscene or nuisance messagers from the service and which also lets users bar a flirting partner from being matched with them again. Users can also request that a previous flirtee be alerted to the fact that they wish to get in contact again.
The Desperate & Dateless Ball
In aid of the British Red Cross and sponsored by Virgin Mobile is being held at London's Planit Arches on Saturday 16th February 2002. Tickets are available at www.dndball.com
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras tickets for the event in London on Saturday July 6th 2002 are available at www.londonmardigras.com
About Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is now established as the most successful virtual network operator in the world, and is the UK's fifth network. Since its launch in November 1999 it has attracted 1.5 million customers, making it one of the fastest growing mobile phone companies in history.
Virgin Mobile is a 50:50 joint venture company between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Deutsche Telekom's One 2 One, and is the UK's first mobile virtual operator.
It has scored a number of firsts, including being the first operator to scrap peak rate calls, introduce a daily discounting tariff, the first company in the world to introduce an integrated MP3 mobile phone and the first company to offer all of its customers a content-rich voice portal with the launch of its 4321 service.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virgin.com/mobile; or on the High Street at over 5,000 outlets including Virgin Megastore, Our Price, V.SHOP, Sainsbury, Tesco, WH Smith, Co-op, Asda, Somerfield, John Lewis, Littlewoods, Morrisons, Argos, The Link, Dixons and Carphone Warehouse.
