In a market where consumers are cynical about the cost of mobile phone charges, Optus sought to challenge consumer cynicism by demonstrating that they would receive a better deal. Following research, Optus identified that customers feared being on a fixed mobile contract because when you have a ‘quiet month’ you lose your free calls. They felt ripped off.

Previously, free calls would expire each month. With these new plans, your unused free calls are now rolled over into your included call component for the next month. Included calls can be used over three months before they expire.Optus had now removed the risk of signing a contract.This consumer insight translated into an advertising proposition that was simple but very compelling. The biggest challenge facing the media strategy team was overcoming the inertia existing among consumers and with literally hundreds of mobile phone ads in newspapers each week, the tide of apathy was growing. The advertising proposition - don’t throw your money away - provided a great opportunity to use “guerrilla” marketing tactics in order to ambush an unsuspecting public.We had to talk to the consumer in the only currency they would understand – real currency.Therefore, the humble 20 cent coin (which is still legal tender in Australia) become the “centrepiece” of the media idea.A message was printed on one side of the coin itself which became the visual device for illustrating that if you are not on a plan which rolls over your free calls then you are literally throwing your money away.It was fresh and something totally different to most other mobile advertising.

In the early morning of Thursday 8th March and Friday 9th March 2001, 10,000 20 cent coins were dropped around Sydney’s CBD. These coins were distinctive with an Optus sticker on the underside, which read ‘Don’t throw your money away’. On the opposite end, the line was “Why loose your unused monthly calls!” The stickers were placed face down so the unsuspecting passerby did not realise it was a piece of communication.The way in which the message was delivered was very powerful. When the coin was picked up there was a huge element of surprise. In order to push the concept further, a radio promotion was developed in order to raise awareness levels.Beginning Thursday 8th March until Monday 12th March, 2DAYFM Sydney ran an internet promotion for Optus Mobile ‘Yes Rollover’ plans.To coincide with the coin drop, 2DAYFM ran 15 second pointers to direct listeners who had picked up an Optus Mobile ‘Yes Rollover’ 20 cent coin towards the TodayFM website for a chance to ‘rollover’ their 20c into $2000.Contestants were asked “how would you spend the money you save” thanks to Optus Mobile ‘Yes Rollover’ Plans. Over 500 entries were received.Final Results:50% increase in activations12% more sales year on yearUnprecedented recognition levels in excess of 65%. In the cluttered environment of telecommunications advertising, Optus needed to break out of the conventional in order to overcome the apathy existing among consumers in this category. Rather than using the “safe” traditional solution of newspapers, a non-traditional media approach was recommended and in the process we found a compelling yet simple method of successfully communicating the benefit of the new product.Such was the novel approach that we received press coverage in the Sydney Morning Herald, one of the premium daily newspapers in Australia.At the end of the campaign, there was a 50% increase in new customer acquisition. In the words of Gordon Gecko, "greed is good".How many times have you seen money thrown away in a movie and people run from everywhere to catch it. GREED is one of the most basic of human instincts.This submission was special because it tapped into the greed mindset. People are naturally inquisitive when they see money lying on the ground.

So imagine the look of astonishment when people in the Sydney CBD saw literally 1000’s of 20 cent coins lying in the streets. Not sure whether to pick them up, their curiosity quickly got the better of them ... Julia Terry, Mobile Acquisition Manager, sums up the campaign’s success:"Launching a new product into the Telco market is always difficult due to the amount of clutter that exists. Our coin promotion, helped us raise above this clutter and generated a considerable amount of incremental Public Relations which pushed a limited media budget even further".

In the cluttered environment of telecommunications advertising, Optus needed to break out of the conventional in order to overcome the apathy existing among consumers in this category. Rather than using the “safe” traditional solution of newspapers, a non-traditional media approach was recommended and in the process we found a compelling yet simple method of successfully communicating the benefit of the new product.Such was the novel approach that we received press coverage in the Sydney Morning Herald, one of the premium daily newspapers in Australia.At the end of the campaign, there was a 50% increase in new customer acquisition.