The Others spread Simplus – the highly contagious mobile virus

One of the most amazing and talked-about commercials of 2008 (aired also in 2009) in Poland was a ‘horror-inspired’ series of  TV spots for Simplus, the biggest prepaid mobile network in Poland.  For a couple of years now Simplus has employed an advertising concept of imitating different film genres in its TV copies. We have already seen a Simplus’ Western spot, a Latino soap-opera, noir detective-thriller, the Blues Brothers-inspired spot and even a Basic Instinct-inspired spot. But not until the horror spots arrived, anybody cared much for Simplus’ advertising.  

The concept behind this series is that the commercial looks very much like a real movie or a movie-trailer – the actors play their roles in English, evoke strong emotions and there’s a meticulous mise-en-scene.  All the efforts make the Simplus commercial resemble the successful Hollywood horror movie The Others [2001, dir. Alejandro Amenabar] with Nicole Kidman in the lead role of the troubled mother. The advertising communications is smartly tied with the storyline as Simplus turns out to be the highly contagious virus that threats the family living in an old secluded house. Henry, the little boy, gets infected and thus he can talk to the invisible Others as he explains to his terrified mother: You can’t see them, but I can talk to them cheaply with Simplus.

In the second spot, the little boy is examined by the doctor, who sadly informs the distressed mother: There’s nothing I can do to help him […] He’s got Simplus […]  I’m terribly sorry!  The sales benefits of Simplus offer are always delivered in the final shot of the spots – either by the gloomy servant or Henry’s sister:  It’s shocking – with Simplus it’s terribly cheap to talk to 5 people from any network. Simplus – the best prepaid offer.  The agency behind this successful campaign is called Team One, and it’s a spin-off from Saatchi & Saatchi Warsaw, Poland

The TV campaign was supported by a very distinctive outdoor, press and Internet advertising – some examples of that you may check out below:

Simplus Billboard - The free-of-charge calls and SMS to the ghost of your choice

 

Internet, Press and Bus-shelter advertising of Simplus' HAUNTED NUMBER