• by Karl Greenberg , March 4, 2009

Virgin Mobile USA is reaching for an older, wiser, more demanding consumer with its new ad campaign, promoting the value of basic service that costs less and offers more. The company is launching an integrated campaign, "Take Advantage of Virgin Mobile," via Toy New York that is designed to point out that unlike most carriers, Virgin Mobile USA gives control to its customers.

The new theme is central to four new 30-second TV spots, as well as POS and online elements. The new TV ads, shot in working-class urban and suburban surroundings (one shot has a discarded mattress in the background and one hears sirens off camera), show a Virgin Mobile pitch guy approaching various Virgin Mobile USA customers to demonstrate how consumers' desires dictate policy.

He explains that while too many cell phone companies take advantage of consumers, Virgin Mobile USA is encouraging them to take advantage of it. "Like Matt," he says, walking up to the guy in a parking lot, "who didn't want the usual 9 p.m. nights and weekends..." Matt interrupts him: "Make it 8:30," he says. "But you said 9 p.m.," responds the interviewer. "No, you said 9 p.m.," says Matt in return. "Seven. Make it seven."

The effort also ties into Virgin Mobile USA's recently launched branded pages on Facebook You Tube, Twitter and www.virginmobileusa. com.

The company has also signed to sponsor Britney Spears' "Circus" tour, and will associate the new brand theme with the concert tour by holding ticket contests in select cities, and providing access to behind-the-scenes videos and user-generated content from the tour. Other grassroots efforts in different markets include Virgin Angel giveaways, demos of the new Ocean 2, text-to-screen communications, VIP seat upgrades and more at various sports and entertainment arenas. Virgin is offering prepaid customers a range of Britney ringtones, Britney video clips such as "Circus" tour footage, music downloads of "Circus" and other Britney albums, interviews, music videos and other content.

Ari Merkin, chief creative officer of Toy New York, says that the focus on workaday urban environments and lower-middle-class people in the ads is a deliberate effort toward authenticity, given the economy and the target--younger consumers, but older than the teenage customers originally targeted when the company launched.

"We are casting a wider net with the message than the typical audience," he says.

"Originally it was a teen audience, and the brand is more grown-up now, These are young adults making their own money and their own decisions, and realizing that adult cell phone plans aren't all they are cracked up to be."