Commentary

Brandtique: T-Mobile, The Jonas Brothers

It's not hard to benefit from any linkage with the seeming infinitely popular Jonas Brothers. So, when T-Mobile plotted its return as a sponsor of the American Music Awards, it may well have set its sights on where the brothers would find the limelight--and looked for a way to take advantage of it.

Enter the T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award.

Who else was going to win the equivalent of best new artist? (A side note: Haven't the Brothers been around for a while?)

Nevertheless, it would be an easy marriage between band and brand.

On Nov. 23, there was solid competition in the category. But sure enough, the brothers took home the honor on ABC.

In its afterglow, T-Mobile may have envisioned the audience mistaking the award for a sort of T-Mobile Jonas Brothers Breakthrough New Product and New Artist Award (TJBBNPNAA). They would connote the flashy brothers with a splashy new product.

The reason was that the company used the AMAs to plug its new T-Mobile G1 device. It ran multiple billboards and the T-Mobile distinctive ringtone was heard repeatedly (one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX).

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If the audience came away with any TJBBNPNAA equation, such as T-Mobile = Jones Brothers or G1 + Jonas Brothers = 2 massive breakthroughs--then T-Mobile surely would have felt it had pulled off a coup.

As it turned out, it did indeed.

Its sponsorship was a winner, and for other reasons than the winners.

Imagine if during the Oscars, viewers were unimpressed with Brad Pitt's tux or turned off by another actor's palpably inflated ego. And then, they had the chance--or perceived one--right then and there to overrule the Academy's selections.

That's basically what the would-be TJBBNPNAA offered.

Throughout the AMA broadcast, viewers were encouraged to text in a vote with a T-Mobile device or G1 (isn't that double-speak?)--or to visit ABC.com to weigh in.

When "High School Musical's" Ashley Tisdale emerged to announce the TJBBNPNAA winner, she mentioned that it was the only award that offered both live voting during the show and texting in a vote at all.

Thank you, T-Mobile. That's great customer service. Take note: J.D. Power.

In a clever maneuver, Tisdale would not find out the winner from an environmentally unfriendly envelope (again, take that Academy). T-Mobile had her go green, paperless.

She received a text directly to her G1 with the result.

Obviously prepped, she allowed it to ring three times before answering--three more jingles of the unmistakable T-Mobile ringtone--and setting off the Jonas Brothers fandango. The trio walked to the stage and offered some thank yous.

No shout out came for T-Mobile. No problem. No matter what the company paid for its role, it probably felt its sponsorship yielded what it wanted and maybe more--for a song.

Product

Show

Q-Ratio

T-Mobile

American Music Awards

5.2457

"Australia"

Samantha Who?

2.4226

Swanson

Top Chef: New York

2.2507

Hyundai

24: Redemption

1.6839

Facebook

The Big Bang Theory

1.9975

Windex

Monk

1.0627

Orville Redenbacher

The Biggest Loser

0.6606

 

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