Orange Pays Actors To Stand In Line For The iPhone
from the losing-its-magic? dept
When the disco era was dying, the story was that the famed Studio 54 in New York had to start paying people to stand out front in line, so that it still look the club was still a happening place. Is the same thing happening with the iPhone? Over in Poland, mobile operator Orange is happily admitting that it's paying actors to stand in line to wait for the launch of the new iPhone: "We have these fake queues at front of 20 stores around the country to drum up interest in the iPhone." That seems like a rather blatant admission that the phone itself isn't enough to drum up interest. Somehow, though, I don't think the iPhone is going the route of disco just yet.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: actors, iphone, lines, poland
Companies: apple, orange
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Auditions
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Auditions
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
First time this has ever happened?
[Bracing for the pile on from all the Apple® trolls]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Marketing
How many Pollocks does it take to turn on an iPhone anyway?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Marketing
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
It could be chalked up in a series of advertisements- "A Sale About Nothing", "No Phone For YOU!", followed up with "There Was Line Shrinkage!" All of course, Starring Jerry Seinfeld.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Its time . . .
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Its time . . .
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Its time . . .
touch screen
mobile internet
moblie email
phone computer compatiability
mobile computing
music phones
and there are tons more
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Its time . . .
Then again, maybe you are seeing that you've bought into the hype....
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Its time . . .
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Its time . . .
Man, my phone must be freaking sweet!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Its time . . .
touch screen - This one I'll give you. The iPhone has the best touch screen I have used yet on a mobile phone.
mobile internet - Doesn't even support flash or Java, try again.
moblie email - How long did it take Apple to add support for corporate e-mail?
phone computer compatiability - Really? that's funny cause my cell phone lets me transfer files via bluetooth, how's the iPhone leading the way on this? Oh and my phone can sync with my calendar via bluetooth as well.
mobile computing - limiting developers to one store, and telling them there is a list of things they can't do is not leading the way in mobile computing, it is taking a step backwards. Phones with built in J2ME or Full Java support have many more apps available to them, many of which are free.
music phones - I have a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones for my cellphone, got any that will work with your iPhone? I can also add music by transfering via bluetooth, putting another memory card in, downloading via Mobile Web, or if I really want to go old school, I could use a USB cable for it (and mine doesn't have to be a proprietary USB cable either).
and there are tons more - perhaps you should list them, as I have debunked all but one of your examples? And I hope you really enjoy your iPhone in a year when your battery won't hod a charge any longer. I'll pay $20 for a new battery, how much will you pay for a new iPhone? Ohhh you can't get one yet your still in a 2 year contract. Enjoy!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Its time . . .
mobile internet done before by Palm
"moblie" email done before by Palm
phone computer "compatiability" done before by Palm
mobile computing done before by Palm
music phones done before by Nokia
and there is nothing more
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Its time . . .
mobile internet done before by Palm
"moblie" email done before by Palm
phone computer "compatiability" done before by Palm
mobile computing done before by Palm "
And wasnt Palm founded by Apple engineers who left after thier PDA project (and handwriting recognition platform) was canceled in the mid 90s (the Newton I think?). Apple did have a founding genius, his name was WAZ! (sadly they are just a marketing company now)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
http://www.thecorporation.com/
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
How many...
Innocent, market-going, Pollack, bystander: Uh, I don't know? I'm just here to buy a couple of chickens and a gourd.
S.Jobs: Here's fifty bucks? Go stand in line and find out.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Have to disagree with you on that one. It's a full fledged OSX kernel with a trimmed-down UI/Shell.
That's why there's over 1000 apps available for in within 30 days. How many does Blackberry have after, what 7 years..?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
The BlackBerry can run mobile Java applications without forcing users to jump through hoops so, uh, quite a few. You can also develop Java applications without being squelched by an overbearing NDA.
I'm not saying that the iPhone is bad, per se, but Apple could certainly do a better job in keeping their independent developers happy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Apple's major strength.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Apple's major strength.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Hype
I have an IPhone because I want one - what it does suits what I want from a phone, the same reason I got a N95 before. I did not want the first one because it was not 3G - no amount of marketing would have changed that.
And no I did not pay for it, free on my call plan.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Hype
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Hype
I like how he goes on about "wanting an iPhone" but then in the end explains how it didnt cost him anything LOL.
That is a decent value proposition certainly . . . LMAO
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No big deal
You don't have that in US. :-)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
maybe
A pollock is in a bar and he says, hey check out my new Iphone.
The bartender says, what are you an American?
The pollock, says, naah but I got his passport too...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Cute toy
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Touchscreen was a PURCHASED innovation
[ link to this | view in chronology ]