T-Mobile to Drop Catherine Zeta-Jones and Promote Internet Phones
September 26th, 2006
The Wall Street Journal reports today that T-Mobile USA plans to drop its celebrity pitchwoman, Catherine Zeta-Jones.
T-Mobile is expected to launch new services including a next generation Internet Phone that will allow subscribers to connect from home internet connections and in T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi hot spots.
The new initiatives will be followed by a major rebranding effort. The company has decided to drop Ms. Zeta-Jones from its advertising in favor of a more man-on-street approach to marketing, people familiar with the matter say. Ms. Zeta-Jones may continue to appear in some ads until her contract expires next year, but eventually she will be phased out. The amount of her contract wasn’t available, but it is valued at several million dollars, the people say.
T-Mobile is expected to release this new service as early as October, making them the first U.S. carrier to provide such a service.
