- Alltel Corp. went guerilla with its new advertising campaign promoting its My Circle calling plans. The company released a press release last week saying several of its new My Circle billboards had been “vandalized,” purportedly by four men wearing pink, yellow, red and orange polo shirts. The carrier’s new My Circle TV ad portrays four sales guys from competing carriers, dressed in the same colors as the “vandals,” commiserating over the impact of the My Circle plans and plotting to put a stop to them. Alltel said vandals painted the word Don’t above the description of the My Circle benefits and drew mustaches, eye patches, horns and fangs on Alltel’s salesman, Chad.
- Watch-maker Fossil Inc. and phone-maker Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. announced a teaming to produce wristwatches that can connect to cell phones. Users will be able to mate their cell phone and watch through Bluetooth technology.
The first product to emerge from the teaming is Fossil’s new Caller ID wristwatch. Based on the designs of other popular Fossil watches, the gadget will alert users to incoming calls and text messages via a slight vibration. Users will also be able to mute or reject an incoming call with “a single button press.”
Fossil said its new Bluetooth-enabled Caller ID watch will sell for $250 and will be available in late October.
“Watches are the perfect `glanceable’ display. They are simple to use, fashionable, and well accepted,” said Bill Geiser, vice president of watch technology for Fossil. “The immediate opportunity is for watches to deliver convenient new services that simplify how people stay connected with one another.”
- Kyocera Wireless said it was the premier partner for Virgin Mobile’s Virgin Festival earlier this month at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course. The festival was scheduled to include performances by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Who. The festival also included interactive activities focused on texting technology sponsored by Kyocera. The company said concert attendees were able to send text messages that were displayed on Jumbotrons flanking the stages. Texting events and competitions also were scheduled.
