News 2006
Winter Blues? Snap out of it
04/12/2006
- Survey reveals gloomy Brits use pictures on their mobile
phones to cheer themselves up during winter
- Survey reveals Brits are using pictures on their mobile phones to beat the winter blues
- 60% change their screen savers during the winter time to pictures of sunsets or beaches
- Lorraine Kelly beats Cheryl Tweedy to be the most popular celebrity screensaver
04.12.06: As the cold winter weather starts to hit the country, results from a survey conducted by Virgin Mobile reveal that blues-ridden Brits are turning to their mobile phones to help cheer themselves up and ward off the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D).
The survey shows that 90% of people change their mobile phone screensaver at least once a month in the winter time, with 60% revealing that to cheer themselves up they select pictures that remind them of warmer and sunnier months.
Topping the list of images that cheer the public up the most are pictures that remind them of summer, with 42% of respondents replying that they favoured sunsets, or beach scenes from holidays abroad. Aside from sunny images, 24% of people also admitted that it’s pictures of their pets that they rely on for a bit of winter creature comfort.
The public also voted for the celebrity they felt would brighten the coldest winter’s day. Surprisingly beating WAG Cheryl Tweedy was Lorraine Kelly who was voted the ray of sunshine that the public would most like to see on their mobile phones. The Scot is clearly the perfect antidote to any cold front. And it’s no surprise that the public voted pale Pete Doherty as the screensaver they would least like to look at.
Simon Dornan, Head of Consumer PR, Virgin Mobile said: “The survey results show just how much your phone can be a mood booster. It’s natural that during the bitter and dark winter months, that people want to change their screensavers to images that remind them of happy warm summer times.”
Mark Golding, M.D for Britebox said: “I am not surprised by these results because at least ten percent of the UK population suffers with S.A.D or some form of winter blues. It makes sense that looking at a picture on your mobile phone of a sunny happy memory will give you a boost and can help ward off the blues.”
To help banish winter blues, Virgin Mobile has a selection of 'Winter Warmer' downloadable screensaver images on the Bites section at www.virginmobile.co.uk.
Notes to Editor:
- The survey was conducted independently via 72.com and had 1515 respondents
- Screensavers are the pictures displayed on a mobile phone screen
For more information, please contact:
Henry’s House:
Kate Towey: kate@henryshouse.com or 07734 208981
Krissy Knights: krissy@henryshouse.com or 0207 291 3035
Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile Press Office: 0845 600 6272 or press.office@virginmobile.com
Jo Baker: jo.baker@virginmobile.com or 07941 23300
Simon Dornan: simon.dornan@virginmobile.com or 07847 279666
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile is the UK’s largest mobile virtual network operator and uses T-Mobile's network. Since its launch in November 1999, Virgin Mobile has attracted more than 4 million customers.
Virgin Mobile is part of the ntl:Telewest group. The group is the first to be able to offer `quadruple play’ to customers: mobile and fixed line telephony, broadband internet and television.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virginmobile.co.uk or on the high street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores and selected WHSmiths, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Phones 4 U, Currys.digital, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Argos, Woolworths, Toys R Us, Ryman, web retailer Dial-a-phone plus hundreds of independent mobile phone 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, Phones 4u, at concessions in WHSmith and from www.virginmobile.co.uk.
Virgin Mobile employs approximately 1,700 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough.
Virgin Mobile was voted 22nd in the Best Workplaces in the UK Financial Times survey for 2006. Virgin Mobile was honoured at Management Today’s Most Admired Companies Awards 2006, being voted the best company for the Ability to Attract, Develop and Retain Top Talent.
Virgin Mobile is offering its customers 3p per minute Virgin to Virgin voice calls in the UK until March 31st 2007.
