News

iPhone fans? or a warm-up act?

by Auguste Modine | posted on 24 August 2008

Mobile phone carrier Orange Poland admitted today that it hired actors to stand in line for the country's iPhone debut.

"It was a part of our marketing strategy, the concept was thought up at Orange Poland," the company told the Associated Press. "The aim was to 'warm up' the atmosphere around the launch of the iPhone."

Orange said they set up fake queues in front of about 20 stores around the country. Meanwhile, there were no lines outside of rival Era retail stores which also carry the iPhone in Poland according to several reports.

We assume it's mostly been honest-to-goodness Apple fanatics that queued up across the globe to pay tithe to the Jesus Phone. Apple certainly doesn't seem to have much trouble stirring hearts elsewhere into a froth of consumer zealotry without dipping into the local talent pool.

Alas, Polish hearts are clearly made of sterner stuff — no doubt a side effect of red beet soup and cabbage rolls. And hey, even The Beatles allegedly paid for a few screamers to prime the pump when they first started.

But isn't it a bit stupid — and correct us if we're wrong here — to immediately give away that you had to pay people to feign interest? They're selling the Jesus Phone for Job's sakes! Apple must need some serious missionary merchandising there if carriers need to call in the bold and the beautiful.