Orange launches multi-million pound campaign for Bright Top Ups

• New Orange TV advertisement promotes 1 in 3 chance customers have of winning a prize every time they top up with Orange Pay As You Go (PAYG)
• Multi-media campaign includes national roadside, London underground, and shopping mall advertising.
• Widget for social networking sites encourage PAYG customers to redeem their prizes

Orange has today launched a multi-million pound advertising campaign to promote Orange Bright Top Ups, the latest benefit for Pay As You Go customers who have a one in three chance to instantly win a prize whenever they top up. Orange will run its first Bright Top Ups television advert from 20th July until 23rd August on all commercial terrestrial and satellite channels in the UK. The advertising campaign will also run in print and outdoor throughout July, appearing across the London underground, ATMs, shopping malls and petrol stations.

The 30 second TV commercial devised by creative agency Fallon, features various animated cardboard characters created by Peepshow Collective’s Chrissie Macdonald. The commercial is the animation debut for these Orange characters. The ad was directed by Studio Studio AKA’s Steve Small and cleverly combines a very low tech shoot of card models and props, which were then augmented in 3D with the addition of legs, arms, facial features and other details to create a ‘hand puppeterred’ feel. There is a series of infectious laughs, stifled giggles, and exuberant chuckles from the characters reflecting the fun that customers can experience when topping up their mobiles.

The theme of Orange’s above-the-line advertising campaign is “a smile when you least expect it” and the advertisements are designed to be simple and entertaining. Since Bright Top Ups launched in May customers have won over a million text bundles and a million free minutes of calls. Thousands of holiday and leisure inspired prizes have also been claimed including 2,000 tickets to top attractions, 30,000 juggling balls and 15,000 beach balls.

The advertising campaign will include a national roadside 6-sheet campaign, advertising on the London underground and shopping mall advertising. A second phase of activity from August onwards will include 6-sheets near newsagents, and advertising on petrol station 6-sheets and forecourts. In addition, Orange will run an ATM campaign launching on August 17th for four weeks through atmAd's national network of cash machines.

The print advertisements incorporate some of the main characters from the TV advert. Orange retail stores will also feature cardboard cut-outs of the characters who will also be present on the Bright Top Ups website where prize winners can go to claim their prize.

Also on the site will be a Bright Top Ups widget, created by digital agency Poke, which will allow people to download their favourite characters from the TV ad and will also keep them updated on prize options as they change. This will be available later in July and will work across a number of social networking sites.

Spencer McHugh, Brand Director for Orange UK said: “Our multimedia advertising campaign is devised to highlight the fun rewards customers can get with Bright Top Ups. Customer engagement is already very good with roughly 57 prizes won every minute. Our aim is to make sure that all our Pay As You Go customers take advantage of the 1 in 3 chance to win a really great prize with every top-up.”

-Ends-

• Please go to orange.co.uk/brighttopups for full terms and conditions.

Credits:

Title: ‘REACTIONS’ Client: ORANGE Agency: FALLON Creative: TONY MILLER Creative: GARY ANDERSON Creative Director: TONY MCTEAR
Production company: STUDIO AKA Director: STEVE SMALL Producer: SHARON TITMARSH

About Orange

Orange is the key brand of the France Telecom Group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 123 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates.

At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (12.7 billion euros for the first quarter of 2009) and at 29 April 2009, the Group had a customer base of almost 184 million customers in 30 countries. These include 123 million mobile customers worldwide and 13 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers in Europe. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

In the UK, Orange provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population. At the end of March 2009, Orange had almost 17 million customers in the UK – 15.8 million active mobile customers and close to one million fixed broadband customers.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited.

For more information: www.orange.com, www.francetelecom.com, www.orange-business.com For further information, call the Orange press office on 0870 373 1500 or email: Orangepr@golinharris.com or visit www.orange.co.uk/newsroom