Tony Hallett's After These Messages: The case for '3'

Every day we are exposed to advertising from household-name technology brands - and those aspiring to become one. In his new series, silicon.com's Tony Hallett plans to debunk the marketing myths and analyse the advertising lies.

The first in the new series looks at the pre-launch campaign of third-generation network operator '3'. Has the big glowing '3' won you over?

There have been plenty of unkind things said about 3G. And in particular, about newbie '3' - the network name of Hutchison's UK venture.

There have been the missed launch dates, the network glitches that caused them, the choice of the logo design, the numerical moniker - you name it. Some City analysts are even saying the company isn't worth a bean, such is the negative sentiment towards operators' third-generation chances. But don't underestimate the company's advertising blitz.

I may call the company a mobile newbie but many of you will know Hutchison was the company behind Orange's ascent. Should we be surprised the same brandmeisters are getting across an attractive message again this time?

With marketing budgets spent months before, we saw plenty of '3' activity last December, when the company had promised to go live. We even got a bit of feedback at silicon.com about those lively '3' pop-ups.

Then by the New Year, we collectively awoke to simple, Apple-esque '2003' signs on billboards where the 3 in 2003 was the 3 of '3' - if you know what I mean. Nice touch.

But the real joy has been the TV fayre of the last three or four weeks. First we've had 'Michael Owen'. (I have no idea if this is the ad's name at some acronymn-ed agency but it would make sense.) Various members of Joe Public - a decorator, a barber, a strangely sexy manicurist - try to describe an Owen goal from the previous day. Only it's a tough one - and not because of his recent goal drought.

Cue the punch line. We see that, hey, soon with mobile services from '3', we'll be able to see the goal clip ourselves on a clamshell handset.

More recently, we get a lad's jerky monologue to camera, telling a friend how he's actually going out with - wait for it - said friend's sister. The ad is very funny and is helped by the Mean Streets effect of locking the camera to the actor. And the punch line this time - video messaging, another upcoming '3' service feature.

Hutchison has bet big on 3G in a number of countries, so maybe it shouldn't be a surprise to see them smoothly promoting new technology, or features such as Premiership highlights. But how often has one of the companies we cover failed to get across what they do?

Just over a year ago, when BT Wireless units including BT Cellnet had demerged from BT Group, we sat here lamenting the lack of thought that would have seen O2 officially launch on 02.02.02 - yes, O2 day. Or at least that's what should have come out of some marketing director's mind. No good waiting another 100 (or is that 1,000?) years for the next chance.

For all their operational woes, the team at '3' seemed to have got the hype right. The technology may still be a bit iffy - a problem by no means theirs alone - and the logo may stink but maybe their UK campaign will strike a chord with the public, proving the analysts, the brokers and, yes, the media wrong.

Get ready for an even bigger push on 03.03.03.

Tony Hallett is the Analysis and Reports Editor at silicon.com. You can reach him, when he's not watching television, at thallett@silicon.com.