T-Mobile films 'flashmob' in Heathrow for new ad
Flashmob-loving T Mobile has organised a mass public singalong at Heathrow airport today for a new TV ad that will be screened later this week.
Passengers arriving at Terminal 5 were greeted by a crowd of more than 300 people who burst into synchronised song and dance in the arrivals hall.
The singing was led by 20 vocalists belting out tunes including Iggy Pop's 'I am the Passenger' and 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)' by George Michael and Aretha Franklin.
People then joined the crowd either for their own amusement or, perhaps a little more likely, because they were alerted by a text from T-Mobile.
The scenes were captured on hidden cameras by Saatchi & Saatchi and the agency will now get to work on editing the footage into an ad due to be broadcast on Friday at 10.15pm.
Below is a short video from the action at Heathrow.
The TV ad will run across more than 80 digital and terrestrial channels and the footage will be uploaded to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Spencer McHugh, director of brand at T-Mobile, said: "We want to create adverts that not only show our products in a different way but are entertaining and interesting enough that people want to share them with their friends - whether that's over a chat in the pub, on twitter or on text.
"It simply isn't good enough any more to put a 30 second advert on in the break on Coronation Street. That's why we are launching with a 3 minute version and will be launching on social and traditional media simultaneously."
It is T-Mobile's latest foray into flashmobs having previously shot similar gatherings in London's Liverpool Street Station and Trafalgar Square for popular ad campaigns. Videos of the two events have recorded more than 28m hits on YouTube.
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They've pretty much done this before, so why bother doing it again?
Fake, and a near carbon copy of their previous fakery. Yawnfest.
"it simply isn't good enough to put a 30sec ad on the tv ad break" and or simply isn't good enough to use the same old smug 3 minute flashmob idea in a different location.
It's going to be the lamest event of the year, particularly after E4 put the final nail in the flashmob coffin. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btL-EeX96Kk&feature=player_embedded
Boring, boring, boring. I've never liked these ads, faked spontaneity has always felt disingenuous.
I agree. For me they've now joined the likes of Cadbury's (gorilla) in ruining what was once an iconic and memorable campaign. Lame.
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As T-Mobile are more interested in what the public thinks (as it is them that buy the products) and not what people who work in advertising think then this ad is perfect and will once again prove to be a success, which is all that matters.
The previous incarnation in Liverpool Lime Street was one of the most recognized and talked about ads of the year, the public loved it and it has since been directly referenced in films, photo shoots, magazines and newspapers ever since. Not flashmobs in general but specifically this ad. It was widely slagged on here and in the industry only for it to be massively successful. Shows what people knocking these ads know.
To answer questions such as 'Why bother doing it again?' or 'It simply isn't good enough...', the answer is pretty clear, it has already picked up thousands of pounds worth of free advertising in newspapers and in the news. It will also be an ad that people in the street talk about for the following week.
And isn't that the point of advertising, selling stuff, not trying to win a bronze at Fresh.
I couldn't agree more anonymous creative. Far too many ads on here get knocked, when there really isn't that much wrong with them in terms of overall effectiveness and how the general public will perceive them.
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Personally, I think these types of activations are fun. And they do lead to multiple strands of activation. As an Experiential Marketer, I think it's important to engage consumers in innovative, and more importantly, effective ways.
The public also like X-Factor and Jordan autobiographies. What the f*ck do they know?
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Anon 11.01
'....What the fuck do they know?'
They know to get down to T-Mobile and buy there products. Didn't you read Anon Creative's post?
Now get back to doing scam ads for this year's shit shop awards.
Hey Mick, at least Anon 11.01 can spell.
Nice ad for British airways.
I'd like to see the figures for their sales against T-Mobiles.
So the answer to successful advertising is to flog a previously well-received idea to death? Continue ad infinitum until the public become sick of it? I'm not an advertiser so one of you geniuses will need to enlighten me.
What I did like about the original was, for the pre-launch and very first airing, I genuinely (only very briefly, mind) thought is was real. An actual real-life, spontaneous event - albeit instigated by plants within the crowd - and it looked incredible. That soon wore off very quickly and the sheer fakery of it was compounded further by the dreadful spin-off ads. But initially it had me hooked.
So the answer now is to repeat the trick? Do the very same thing and hope to achieve the same response despite it all being seen and done now? Really?
The general public - whilst perceived as tabloid-brainwashed morons at times - are not that thick and the response to this will be nowhere near the original. Even the thick ones will probably be too thick to notice a difference.
And it will take more than a world-beating ad campaign to make me and many millions like me move to the worst of the four main mobile networks in the UK. But that's by-the-by I suppose.
Spot on 12.31
Annonymous Creative, I dont think anyone is doubting Flashmobbing or specifically T-Mobile's initial Liverpool Street Station campaign. The initial campaign was iconic, ingenious, generated phenominal WOM globally and deserved its praise.
This however is simply lazy, there's no evolution here, nothing new. People in the street may be talking about it over the following week but what will they be saying "T-mobile did that dance thing again in Heathrow".
The adage 'seen one seen them all' applies here. Stop spoiling good creative.
so it's been done before - so what - it's generating coverage and doing a job
Annonymous Creative, I dont think anyone is doubting Flashmobbing or specifically T-Mobile's initial Liverpool Street Station campaign. The initial campaign was iconic, ingenious, generated phenominal WOM globally and deserved its praise.
This however is simply lazy, there's no evolution here, nothing new. People in the street may be talking about it over the following week but what will they be saying "T-mobile did that dance thing again in Heathrow".
The adage 'seen one seen them all' applies here. Stop spoiling good creative.
The pinnacle of Flash mobbing was done for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest.
All the street audiences in the major cities of Europe were choreographed for the centre break performance of Madcon "Glow".
If I'd come up with this T-mobile twaddle in an airport after Johnnie Foreigner has successfully done it over half a continent, I'd get me coat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsuPqiCjyag
The pinnacle of Flash mobbing was done for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest.
All the street audiences in the major cities of Europe were choreographed for the centre break performance of Madcon "Glow".
If I'd come up with this T-mobile twaddle in an airport after Johnnie Foreigner has successfully done it over half a continent, I'd get me coat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsuPqiCjyag
The point of a creative agency should not be to sell stuff - shock horror anon creative - it should always be to innovate and originate. The benefit of that is for your client. Sales. But far too many people for my liking confuse these two separate points.
They pretty much did achieved this with the first rendition of this which was a great campaign. Second rendition brings nothing new to the table.
anon 09:05 you are in the wrong business - you are the weakest link - goodbye
'The point of a creative agency should not be to sell stuff?'
Its through people like you that agencies close down. What a idiot.
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I'm assuming anon 9:05 is a wind up artist otherwise that is quite literally the stupidest comment I have ever read on the Drum, which is really taking the biscuit.
Best of luck to everyone who has the pleasure of working with you.
Anon 9.05 is probably a student who tries to make ad campaigns for detergent look like Raygun 'cos it looks really cool man'
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