Marketing For T-Mobile's 'Unlimited And Unlocked iPhone' Plan No Longer Includes Images Of Apple's Handset
October 11, 2012
T-Mobile’s “unlimited and unlocked iPhone” initiative is no more. Or rather, the fourth largest carrier in the U.S. is no longer showing Apple’s handset in future marketing efforts to promote the plan, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Launched on the same day that Apple announced the iPhone 5, T-Mobile’s initiative offers Value plans that separate the cost of wireless service from the purchase of a new phone. As a result, the company claims that they can save AT&T customers $50 per month by switching their service to T-Mobile.
To promote the Value plans, T-Mobile included images of the iPhone at the bottom of an open padlock in store advertising. Those ads are now being removed.
T-Mobile is the only national carrier in the U.S. that does not carry the iPhone.
According to a T-Mobile spokeswoman, the change was a “natural progression” of the campaign, which will now include “other AT&T smartphone images.” The company only used the imagery in September to “capitalize on the excitement around the launch of the iPhone 5,” she said.
Funny, but there was no mention of “other AT&T smartphones” when T-Mobile’s plan was originally announced. In fact, the company’s press release from Sept. 10 clearly mentioned that the plan was primarily for iPhone customers. In fact, it contained 20 references to Apple’s most popular mobile device.
According to TmoNews, this marketing change wasn’t a “natural progression.” Rather, it was announced through an internal directive that said the iPhone name and images “can longer be used” in marketing.
T-Mobile says that there was no “direct communication” with Apple, which declined to comment on The Wall Street Journal story, as did AT&T.
Regardless, although T-Mobile's advertisements no longer mention the iPhone, “unlimited and unlocked” plans are still being offered to AT&T customers with a smartphone. For more information, visit the T-Mobile website or one of their retail stores.
Source: The Wall Street Journal