Virgin Mobile asks consumers to "break up" with their network, in MNP campaign

Virgin Mobile's Mobile Number Portability (MNP) campaign gives its audience reasons to break up with their existing service provider, much like they would with their boyfriend or girlfriend in real life.

 

Watch the TVCs (story continues below)

 

Leaving Home

 

 

Hospital

 

 

Cheating

 

 

In the first TVC, a young man scares off his girlfriend, who's only interested in his money, by telling her he's chosen her over being given a share in his father's will. In the second, another young man fakes an injury to force his fickle girlfriend to leave him, with the voiceover saying, "Does your mobile phone operator leave you when you really need it?" In the third, a young woman feigns a pregnancy to embarrass her boyfriend even further when she catches him cheating on her. 

 

Commenting on the consumer/youth insight which led to the creative idea, Dheeraj Sinha, chief strategy officer, Bates141 said, "The biggest difference between today’s Indian youth and their parent’s generation is their comfort with disposability. Youth today is much easier with cutting loose, whether its jobs or relationships. The idea of MNP hits at the heart of today’s youth – the “no-strings generation” as we call them. It allows them to explore greener pastures. Virgin Mobile as a brand takes a bold social stand. The campaign therefore celebrates Virgin’s take on MNP, which is - commitment is passé."

 

Sonal Dabral, regional creative director and managing partner, Bates141, said, "The big 'Hatke' idea we zoned in on was to see the relationship between the customers and a mobile service provider as a love affair gone sour. With this idea, we explored various ways in which a mobile service provider becomes an irritant and therefore a reason for 'breakup'. The timing of Valentines' Day to break this campaign on 'break-ups' was another 'Hatke' idea that only this brand could've done.”

 

Campaign Credits:

 

Client: Virgin Mobile

Agency: Bates141

Regional creative director/Managing partner: Sonal Dabral

National creative director: Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar

Chief strategy officer/Planning: Dheeraj Sinha

Senior creative director: Abhinav Pratiman

Senior vice president: Nutan D. Sooda

Brand management: Sachin Ramchandani, Marita Ferreira

Copywriters: Sonal Dabral, Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar, Abhinav Pratiman, Sambit Mohanty,

Bhavna Kher, Rajat Dawar, Riti Hamlai

Art director: Kiran Nagda

Agency producer: Tasneem Rajgara

Production house: Curious Films

Director: Vivek Kakkad