News 2005
Kate Moss stars in new ad to launch Virgin Mobile Contract
19/12/2005
- Kate Moss will star in an ad for Virgin Mobile’s New Pay Monthly Contract
- The ad will be available online from midday at www.katemosscontract.com
- British television premiere will be at 6.45pm on Christmas Eve during Ant and Dec’s Christmas Takeaway on the ITV network
- Kate Moss is featured using the Motorola RAZR V3i
20.12.05: Virgin Mobile is today delighted to announce the online premiere of its new ad to launch its Pay Monthly Contract, which stars the world-famous supermodel Kate Moss. The ad, in which Kate is seen using a Motorola RAZR V3i phone, will be available to view online from midday today, 20th December, at www.katemosscontract.com. The commercial’s British television premiere will be seen at 6.45pm on Saturday 24th December on the ITV network, during Ant and Dec’s Christmas Takeaway, and will then be seen in the highest profile spots from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve on the ITV network, Channel 4, five, and satellite channels.
‘Kate Moss Contract’ sees Kate relaxing at home and making tea, when she receives a call on her Motorola RAZR V3i phone from a man named ‘Kyle’. Kyle tells her that he has found the perfect contract for her, and goes on to discuss with Kate the merits of the contract he has secured on her behalf. By the end of the ad the viewer learns that Kyle is in fact in a Virgin Mobile store, and the contract that she has been looking for all this time is a new Pay Monthly Contract from Virgin Mobile.
Virgin Group’s Sir Richard Branson said: ”I have known Kate Moss for 18 years, and am a huge fan of hers both personally and professionally. She is undoubtedly the best model in the world and I was thrilled that she agreed to work with Virgin Mobile. She looks absolutely stunning in the new Virgin Mobile ad and she will impress a lot of people with her natural beauty, acting skills, great comic timing and her ability to poke fun at herself.”
James Kydd, brand director of Virgin Mobile, said: “If ever there was a commercial of the moment, this is it. Kate Moss is, quite simply, brilliant.”
The ad was directed by California-based Paul Hunter, who had previously directed Virgin Mobile’s Busta Rhymes’ ad in the ‘Devil Makes Work For Idle Thumbs’ series. His impressive catalogue of work has also included the ‘Lady Marmalade’ video from the soundtrack to Moulin Rouge, the video for ‘Me Against the Music’ featuring Madonna and Britney Spears, and the feature film Bulletproof Monk starring Chow Yun-Fat and Seann William Scott.
Paul commented: “I was very impressed with how prepared Kate was, and how much fun she was to work with. She was spontaneous and light-hearted, and she brought a real star presence to the shoot.’
The ad was created by RKCR/Y&R, with communication planning by Goodstuff and media buying by Manning Gottlieb OMD. Viral and buzz marketing was managed by Digital Media Communications (DMC).
Notes to Editors:
For more information please contact:
Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile Press Office: 0845 600 6272 or press.office@virginmobile.com
Alison Bonny: 07802 430276 or Alison.bonny@virginmobile.com
Steven Day: 07931 777777 or steven.day@virginmobile.com
Henrys House:
Krissy Knights: 020 7291 3035 or krissy@henryshouse.com
Motorola:
Allan Blair: 07801 585614 or allanblair@motorola.com
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile Holdings (UK) plc, the UK's largest mobile virtual network operator, is majority owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and uses T-Mobile's network. Since its launch in November 1999, Virgin Mobile has attracted more than 4 million customers*.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virginmobile.com or on the high street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Dixons, Phones 4 U, Curry's, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Argos, TOMO, Woolworths, Toys R Us and Ryman plus hundreds of independents mobile phones dealers and available via Shop Direct, Littlewoods, Grattan and Empire home shopping channels.
Virgin Mobile Pay Monthly (contract) is currently available in Virgin Mobile Stores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, at concessions in WHSmith and at www.virginmobile.com
Virgin Mobile employs approximately 1,400 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough.
Virgin Mobile's customers were found to be the most-satisfied mobile consumers in the pre-pay sector for two years running in 2005 and 2004, according to the surveys by J.D. Power and Associates. Virgin Mobile is also featured in `The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For’ list 2005 and is part of the FTSE4Good Index.
*On a 90-day activity basis.
About the Motorola RAZR V3i
Adding new functionality to the sleek RAZR form, the RAZR V3i delivers a 1.23 megapixel digital camera, expandable memory and a sophisticated new spun metal look – combining the best of mobile style, imaging, audio and technology in one slim device.
About Motorola
Motorola pioneered mobile technology in the 1930s with car radios and public safety radio networks, the walkie-talkie in the 1940's and space-to earth communication for the Apollo program in the 1960s. In the 1980s, Motorola revolutionized personalized communications with the first commercial handheld cellular phone. Today, its new smart devices, networks, and software are making communications not just mobile, but seamless. Continuously redefining “the device formerly known as the cell phone,” Motorola also leads the industry in design, with award-winning products like the iconic RAZR. Motorola had sales of U.S. $31.3 billion in 2004. For more information, please visit www.motorola.com.
Note to Editors: Digital imagery of the products in this release can be seen at: www.motorola.com/motoinfo.
For free B-roll/video content on the products in this release, please log on to www.thenewsmarket.com/motorola. You can receive broadcast-standard video digitally or by video.
