Vodafone's TV ad - 'Innocent' people receiving heaps of unwanted calls/texts

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Vodafone's TV ad - 'Innocent' people receiving heaps of unwanted calls/texts

GregV

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#109325 18-Sep-2012 08:29

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10834761

I find it amusing that so many people are incapable of recording a number, and entering it correctly in their phones, to enable them to call/text "James Rolleston".

They have used two numbers, and in both cases, enough people managed to get it wrong (and all to the same unintended recipient it appears), resulting in them pulling the ad.

To make it worse, the NZHerald appears to have pictured the phone number of yet another person who sent a text to the wrong number. I wonder if they will get lots of unwanted calls/texts now?

EDIT - Fixed URL

EDIT2 - Just realised that this could have been added to the 'Telco ads' in Off Topic. Please move/merge if appropriate

Dingbatt

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#687557 18-Sep-2012 08:56

It is one of those ideas that seemed great in the initial brainstorm and even when it was pitched, but wasn't thought all the way through and applied to human nature. The fact that half the people texting were probably going to be under the influence of one substance or another obviously wasn't considered.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

NonprayingMantis

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#687559 18-Sep-2012 08:58

God knows why they didn?t just use an 0800 number or even better a short code, but then I suppose they want people to think that it is boy?s ?real? number (even though obviously there is no way he would put his personal number on an advert and he won?t be personally responding to txts)

Dunnersfella

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#687561 18-Sep-2012 09:02

GregV: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10834761

I find it amusing that so many people are incapable of recording a number, and entering it correctly in their phones, to enable them to call/text "James Rolleston".

They have used two numbers, and in both cases, enough people managed to get it wrong (and all to the same unintended recipient it appears), resulting in them pulling the ad.

To make it worse, the NZHerald appears to have pictured the phone number of yet another person who sent a text to the wrong number. I wonder if they will get lots of unwanted calls/texts now?

EDIT - Fixed URL

EDIT2 - Just realised that this could have been added to the 'Telco ads' in Off Topic. Please move/merge if appropriate

Isn't it 'amusing that you were incapable' of entering the correct URL and posting this in the correct forum?

Sorry, just pulling your leg... or is the irony intentional?

GregV

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#687562 18-Sep-2012 09:05

I'll bite :)

It was the formatting of the URL I fixed, and as it was a VF ad, my first thought was to post it here.

Dunnersfella

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#687564 18-Sep-2012 09:12

Don't worry, just pulling your leg...
The campaign lacks the forethought of a lot of 'call now' campaigns you'll hear on the radio.
Quite often the ad is written for the Auckland market so they don't include the "09" on the front of the phone number... I remember one for a shoe store in Auckland that the copywriter forgot to include an "09" with.
Problem was, if you're listening to the ad in Invercargill via Radio Sport, when you caledl, well, you'd end up calling a farmer in mid-Canterbury... not the shoe retailer on the North Shore!

scottjpalmer

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#687567 18-Sep-2012 09:16

JohnR does love getting all the texts when people do get the number right though, makes him feel special.

johnr

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#687784 18-Sep-2012 15:55

scottjpalmer: JohnR does love getting all the texts when people do get the number right though, makes him feel special.

Thanks

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MurrayM

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#688028 19-Sep-2012 09:46

Did anyone try texting the number to see what came back?

johnr

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#688030 19-Sep-2012 09:50

MurrayM: Did anyone try texting the number to see what came back?

I have

MurrayM

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#688035 19-Sep-2012 09:53

johnr:
MurrayM: Did anyone try texting the number to see what came back?

I have

And what was in the reply?

johnr

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#690508 24-Sep-2012 11:16

Updated ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UWwH5grd9o

And I thought the last mobile number I picked for James no one could muck it up,

GregV

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#690514 24-Sep-2012 11:20

Nicely done!

tonyhughes

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#690521 24-Sep-2012 11:25

Theory (Type: conspiracy):

All done on purpose. The extra free advertising for Vodafone, c/o NZ media is priceless.

The 'victims' are actors, paid a wee bit more than couple o' hundy account credit.

End transmission.

johnr

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#690524 24-Sep-2012 11:28

@Tony If only then I would not have worked late one evening

eXDee

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#690556 24-Sep-2012 12:09

I wonder how people will take it when they find out that after the 31st of october the plan drops down to the old allocations.
It says "offer ends 31st october" clearly on the ad, but i'd wager quite a few will assume that it means you have to sign on before then to get the offer then you can keep it (ala Telecom).

Of course it says prevailing bundles will apply after it renews in small print and says to refer to the website. I just find it a bit eh that they are advertising a deal which will work for 2 months at the most.