In its latest broadside in the ongoing effort to make more mobile phone users choose its “data stash” (you get to keep monthly data you haven’t used BECAUSE IT’S YOURS!) over AT&T’s alternative plan or Verizon (which hasn’t bothered to compete because it’s “a leader not a follower”), T-Mobile has opted for Kim Kardashian as its Super Bowl ad spokeswoman.
The 30-second ad is essentially one protracted joke: Kim Kardashian is a vacuous celebrity who takes a lot of selfies and without the extra data you’ll miss out. Lol. Yolo. Fomo, etc. They opt for an aesthetic that could loosely be described as “celebrity charity appeal chic”, as Kim (famous person) appeals to viewers to save the data so they can look at pictures of her bum and her various outfits.
It’s a better angle than the disingenuous #SmartphoneEquality campaign they launched where CEO John Legere said things like “It’s a big deal what a duopoly can keep people from getting the most transformational technology”, while wearing a pink T-Mobile T-shirt seemingly to show off his alternative credentials. It could be a total disaster but Kim’s convincing self-deprecation, which she’s not exactly known for, makes it work.
The pitch: Kim Kardashian sells data stash by mocking her own selfie-taking ways
The backstory: T-Mobile try to steal a march on their competitors in the great data war of 2015
The social media campaign: T-Mobile connect with millennials with pictures of shouty millennials, a hashtag and Kim Kardashian
The reaction: Ha! Kim Kardashian is mocking her own vanity!
Deflated footballs out of 10: Kim is a good get, but the ad isn’t actually that funny. Five
