'Phoney' queues used to spur Polish iPhone launch

**hansvonaxion** · August 23rd, 2008 5:16 AM

Thought this was amusing, at least parts of it.

WARSAW (AFP) - Poland's biggest telecoms operator, Telekomunikacja Polska, acknowledged Friday that it had paid young, hip-looking film extras to stand in queues for the national launch of Apple's iPhone .

"It was a marketing move. We thought it was a pretty interesting strategy," TP spokesman Wojciech Jabczynski told AFP.

On Thursday evening, apparent queues began forming outside Orange's stores across Poland, with some in the line offering to sell their slot to passers-by for 100-300 zlotys (30-90 euros, 45-135 dollars).

"The aim was to attract attention. The people in the queues told passers-by about the iPhone ," said Jabczynski.

Such a marketing ploy is ironic in Poland because queues were a regular and much-loathed feature of daily life until the fall of the country's communist regime in 1989, because of endless shortages of even the most basic goods.

From here.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshom...-iphone-launch

**Viper007Bond** · August 23rd, 2008 5:17 AM

lol, that's all I can say.

**NecroJoe** · August 23rd, 2008 5:25 AM

*laughs* I loved how they added that extra political/sociological element at the end of the story.

**Buba** · August 23rd, 2008 7:01 AM

Just wait until Icebone comes in here...

**Hercules286** · August 23rd, 2008 8:00 AM

I hereby name thee Lolmarketing.

**emil_t** · August 23rd, 2008 8:16 AM

that's stupid, even stupider is admiting it

**Labcoatguy** · August 23rd, 2008 3:26 PM

Oh no! The magic and glory is gone, I never knew they could stoop so low to this level of fakery.

...oh wait, we're not talking about the Olympics opening ceremony? Carry on then, lolrofl.

**Quiky** · August 23rd, 2008 10:30 PM

See? You have to PAY people to stand in line for an iPhone and pretend to be interested in it!

**PaSSoA** · August 24th, 2008 5:04 AM

Well, some property developers did a similar marketing strategy for some of their "high-end" residences when the market was good. They paid people to queue for a few days before the launch of the sales just as a hype to show the public that even though it's prices were ridiculously high for it's poor build quality / location , it still was "popular", in so much demand and a "bargain". Nevertheless, the people who actually bought it are suffering right now.

So does it sound familiar...... ??

**hansvonaxion** · August 24th, 2008 9:51 AM

I thought it was funny that the people who got paid to stand in line were offering to sell their spot.

Just can't wrap my head around the mentality, I guess that's the power of marketing.

**Hercules286** · August 24th, 2008 8:19 PM

Originally Posted by hansvonaxion

I thought it was funny that the people who got paid to stand in line were offering to sell their spot.

Just can't wrap my head around the mentality, I guess that's the power of marketing.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that's a crime in Poland. Offering to sell your place/ticket to someone.

**Edmond Blackadder** · August 25th, 2008 9:01 AM

Who can afford an iPhone in Poland?

**Shawn** · August 25th, 2008 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Edmond Blackadder

Who can afford an iPhone in Poland?

Jeremy could probably afford one if he lived in Poland, but what would he be doing there?

Also, this story is so fucking hilarious. Because as much as IceBone hates it, the iPhone has taken the world by storm. Why would you waste money trying to make it more hip?

**Wizegui** · August 26th, 2008 12:11 AM

So the idiots who que up in a long line will stay Apple customers and feel more special about the time money they've ~~wasted~~ spent waiting for an iPhone...

**Shawn** · August 26th, 2008 12:14 AM

Yeah, but most people become Apple customers so they can feel more special... at least over here, I can't see people needing any more encouragement in the snobbery department.

Hey, I don't much care for the iPhone. I'm just saying this is a really stupid idea right here by the Poles.

**NooDle** · August 27th, 2008 11:10 AM

I don't like to admit it either, but the iPhone did take the world by storm.
it just didn't do it everywhere at the same time. Here there were huge problems since they couldn't find a network to support it and the first one wasn't even available here up until a few months ago.

However, paying people to make lines qualifies for epic fail. Especially for this product, since this sort of thing wasn't needed in the first place

**James May's Hair** · August 27th, 2008 2:01 PM

I'm surprised they found anyone in Poland to form a queue - they are all here in England. Hello all you Mareks and Pavels.

I'll stick with Nokia - a proper phone for people who EXPECT 3G from the word go.

**Shawn** · August 27th, 2008 2:30 PM

^ Nokia? Puh-lease... most of their offerings are garbage. Save for maybe, just maybe, the N-series.

**vegasrebel29** · August 27th, 2008 10:51 PM

Nokia hasn't been relevant since phones were as large as your hand (the horror!).

**Quiky** · August 28th, 2008 4:26 AM

Originally Posted by vegasrebel29

Motorola hasn't been relevant since phones were as large as your hand (the horror!).

Fixed that for you.

Thread: 'Phoney' queues used to spur Polish iPhone launch

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Search Thread

'Phoney' queues used to spur Polish iPhone launch

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Similar Threads

Bentley Continental Flying Spur

Carisma spur of the moment photoshoot

The 2006 Bentley Flying Spur

Bentley Continental Flying Spur.

Posting Permissions