Mere days after the fallout surrounding the scandalous resignation of New York's governor, Eliot Spitzer, Virgin Mobile Canada plans to run ads in Toronto newspapers that show Spitzer with a "thought bubble" over his head that reads: "I'm tired of being treated like a number..." The subtext of the ad ties the reference to the former governor's affair back to the wireless industry:
"At Virgin Mobile, you're more than just a number. When you call us we'll treat you like a person, not a client. Whether you're #9 or #900, you'll get hooked up with somebody who'll finally treat you just how you want to be treated," the ad will read.
Looks like Virgin Mobile Canada is living up to at least half of its parent company's reputation. John Byrne, analyst with Technology Business Research recently told FierceWireless: "Virgin has always tried to maintain its reputation as being edgy and cool." The ad is certainly "edgy."
Virgin Mobile CMO Nathan Rosenberg told CNET that the carrier wasn't planning on featuring Spitzer in the ad spots, "but he caught [the carrier's] attention this week."
For more on Virgin Mobile Canada's ad:
- see this report from CNET