LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Alltel Corp. is set to begin a major advertising push for its MyCircle offer, which allows customers to place unlimited calls to up to 10 wireless or wireline numbers from any carrier.
The MyCircle offer requires that customers be on a postpaid plan of at least $60 per month.
Alltel had been using look-alike characters meant to mimic the advertising icons of Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Sprint Nextel Corp., T-Mobile USA Inc. and Verizon Wireless; the new campaign uses “sales guys” dressed in orange, yellow, red and pink shirts to represent the national carriers.
The first commercial will feature the sales guys joining forces over lunch to try to stop MyCircle. The commercial will air nationally on networks including MTV, TNT, ESPN and more than 350 local network affiliates, as well as on affiliates of Spanish-language Univision and Telefutura, according to Alltel. The overall campaign includes event advertising, radio, print, online advertising and Webisodes.
The sales guys have already debuted on Alltel’s Web site, sulking in the background of the promo site for MyCircle.
“Who wants to talk to people outside of their network anyway?” whines the red-shirted stand-in for Verizon Wireless. “I mean, that sounds like something my mom would tell me to do.”
“You know, ever since the merger with Nextel, we’ve got a lot going on,” smirks the chubby embodiment of Sprint Nextel. “I mean, why would you want to be burdened with the Circle when you can play with walkie-talkies? Anybody up for a game of cops and robbers?”
Verizon Wireless also has taken to representing other carriers in its ads. A new TV spot from the carrier shows its usual “network” crowd, led by the be-spectacled test man of “Can you hear me now?” fame, coming face-to-face with a character dressed just like the test man and apparently surrounded by a similar crowd. The imposter tries to convince a customer that the opposing “network” is just like Verizon Wireless’—until most of the members of his crowd are revealed to be cardboard cut-outs that topple over.