Is it time to subscribe to a printer service from HP?

Ever since my dad brought home an...

What’s the best way of buying a phone today?

How did you buy your latest phone?...

MWC: What device highlights did you miss?

So, early last week I predicted that...

Orange employs actors to make fake iPhone queues

According to a a Reuters report, Orange isn’t having any trouble drumming up interest in the iPhone launch in Poland today – in fact, it’s already got queues forming outside its shops. Nothing new there you might think.

Think again. The queuers are being paid to stand in line. From the article:

“We have these fake queues at front of 20 stores around the country to drum up interest in the iPhone,” a spokesman said.

Apparently, Orange’s iPhone attendees are actors. No word on whether there are genuine customers waiting there too, but Reuters says that T-Mobile, also due to launch the iPhone today, hasn’t seen any queues.

8 COMMENTS

  1. What is the point in employing actors to stand in a queue to start up interest, and then tell the whole world about it?

    Doesn't that kind of deceive the whole point?

    Hmm…

    Samantha.

  2. Hmm, I remember Orange Poland hired some girls to give away leaflets advertising the iPhone 3G, I have one too. The taglines are “Everyone should have it” and “Widescreen iPod with touch steering”. I don't recall seeing anyone interested in one of these though. I'll be passing through the center of Szczecin today, wonder if I'll see any queues (real of fake ones). 😉

  3. Actually no, either I had bad luck, or they skipped Szczecin entirely. However the queues looked like this http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/Wiadomosci/1,80325,… as you can see, monumental they weren't.

    As for Samantha's question, the spokesman also said, that the role of the actors was to give “advice” to real customers – in other words further promote the iPhone. The people in the video above refer to the iPhone as “most flashy” and “best phone ever” .(with a weak “…I think” at the end of the sentence ;))

  4. Actually no, either I had bad luck, or they skipped Szczecin entirely. However the queues looked like this http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/Wiadomosci/1,80325,… as you can see, monumental they weren't.

    As for Samantha's question, the spokesman also said, that the role of the actors was to give “advice” to real customers – in other words further promote the iPhone. The people in the video above refer to the iPhone as “most flashy” and “best phone ever” .(with a weak “…I think” at the end of the sentence ;))

  5. Hilarious! Nice to hear that in 2008 people are geting paid for standing in queues. I remember times when almost whole country did it for free 🙂 Check vid:


    Funny part is that there were no products to buy 😉

  6. Hilarious! Nice to hear that in 2008 people are geting paid for standing in queues. I remember times when almost whole country did it for free 🙂 Check vid:


    Funny part is that there were no products to buy 😉

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recently Published

Is it time to subscribe to a printer service from HP?

Ever since my dad brought home an HP LaserJet printer (version 3, if memory serves), I have been printing with an HP. Over the...

What’s the best way of buying a phone today?

How did you buy your latest phone? I'm asking because I'm thinking about what I should be doing. When I was living in Oman, I...

MWC: What device highlights did you miss?

So, early last week I predicted that next to nothing from Mobile World Congress would break through into the mainstream media. I was right,...

How Wireless Will Pave the Path to Neobank Profitability

I'm delighted to bring you an opinion piece from Rafa Plantier at Gigs.com. I think it's particularly relevant given the recent eSIM news from...

An end of an era: Vodafone UK turns off 3G services

I thought it was worthwhile highlighting this one from the Vodafone UK team. For so long - for what feels like years, seeing the...

Mobile World Congress: Did the mainstream media notice?

I resolved this year to make sure I wrote something - anything - about Mobile World Congress, the huge mobile industry trade show taking...