Virgin Mobile created a viral cricket advertising campaign for India by playing on the rivalry between cricket fans. They created a fictional "Panga (Insult) League" where fans could insult each other. This controversial campaign was banned but spread widely online. Nokia promoted a limited edition Bruce Lee phone in China by leveraging his cult status. A viral video of the phone used in a ping pong game was viewed over 16 million times globally, far exceeding promotion targets. Both campaigns effectively used culturally relevant humor and icons to gain extensive free media coverage online.

1. WE TELL OUR CLIENTS:
IT AIN’T MAINSTREAM
IF IT AIN’T MULTICULTURAL
© barrettandwelsh

2. TODAY I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN MULTICULTURAL
IS THE MAINSTREAM
© barrettandwelsh

3. Home runs
SOME GREAT ADS FROM MULTICULTURAL “HOME” COUNTRIES AND WHY THEY’RE GOOD.
Presented by Gavin Barrett
Founding Partner and Creative Director,
Barrett and Welsh Inc
© barrettandwelsh

4. Virgin Mobile The Indian Panga League
The background
The Indian Premier League is India’s professional cricket
league. It’s the second-highest paid league in the world
(after the NBA). In 2010, IPL became the first sporting
event to ever be broadcast live on YouTube.
The product
Virgin’s reduced long distance calling rates. .005¢/min.

5. Virgin Mobile The Indian Panga League
The Virgin insight
Long distance is cheap.
Insulting a rival cricket fan
is priceless.

6. Virgin Mobile The Indian Panga League
The Virgin Idea
Introducing the Indian Panga
(Insult/Scrap/Fight) League.
Fan rivalry hits the major league.

7. © barrettandwelsh

8. © barrettandwelsh

9. © barrettandwelsh

10. Virgin Mobile The Indian Panga League
Results
110 commercials were made. A few of them ran
before the campaign was banned and taken off the air
to Virgin’s delight. They went viral on YouTube.
39,480 YouTube views in a week (now > 600,000);
1,643 Facebook fans, 50,000 mentions on Twitter.
There were 1,10,000 hits on the website in five days.
Virgin spent almost nothing on bought media.

11. Nokia N96
The ask
Make the target want this mobile phone so much that
they'd pay the equivalent of 5-months’ salary to get one.
The product
The limited edition $1300 Bruce Lee Nokia N96 phone.

12. Nokia N96
The Nokia insight
Only cult heroes and object
fetishes produce this level of
irrational desire.

13. Nokia N96
The Nokia Idea
Use “limited edition” buzz
around a cult- and cultural icon
to promote the off-the-shelf N96.

14. © barrettandwelsh

15. Nokia N96
Results
Created by JWT Beijing, the Bruce Lee Ping Pong viral
ad was an instant success. 24 hours after launch, the
10 sec teaser generated 1 million views.
A China-only promotion went viral globally with 16+
million global views, 1.2+ million unique visitors to
campaign site v target of 10,000.
All online stock ordered in LESS THAN 5 DAYS –
Estimated value in 'earned media' more than US$3
million