If you don’t know who the “sales guys” are by now, you must be living on another planet.
The sales guys are characters created by wireless carrier Alltel to represent competitors Cingular/AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile. The four chase Chad, the Alltel rep in the company’s current TV ad spots, plotting behind-the-scenes to thwart Alltel.
And now, a new Web site, OfficialManCave.com reveals the secret lair of the sales guys. The “Man Cave,” as the characters dubbed it, provides a variety of video scenarios with click-on prompts that extend the plot line of the TV ads. Visitors get rewarded for time spent on the site with special Web-only offers for discounts on Alltel cell phones and accessories.
“We try to take it deeper on the Internet, where people have more time to get involved with the characters,” said Wanda Young, director of interactive marketing for Alltel. “We know people are really engaged with the story line.”
Alltel conducted focus groups and other audience research that indicated the anti-Alltel sales guys have developed a following of viewers who are curious about what kind of stunts they’re going to pull next.
The TV spots, running since June 2006 on VH1, ABC Family, Comedy Central, USA Network and other cable networks, portray the characters as endlessly frustrated at Alltel’s service advances, particularly with Alltel’s “My Circle” feature, permitting a 10-person calling circle with customers on any wireless network.
Click on the right icon in the Man Cave, and you could gain access to a confessional section where they reveal their inner anti-Alltel selves. The story line extends to the main page of the Alltel site, where it appears the conspirators have hacked their way in and posted their own video.
“We expect it to have a broad appeal,” Young said.
Alltel is hoping to reach consumers in a particular state of mind: those disposed to switch wireless carriers, although the site could appeal to a slightly younger group, she said.
Changing offers – available only online – and a seemingly endless stream of video sub-plots, are aimed at drawing consumers back for more product information, while they play games and catch up on the quartet.
Alltel will gauge the effectiveness of the site, under development for the last five months, by click-through numbers and rates of purchase for the Web-only offers.
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