Consumer Cellular debuts ‘Shot on Flip Phone’ campaign, spoofing Apple’s ‘Shot on iPhone’

You’re familiar with Apple’s iconic “Shot on iPhone” ads, but have you seen Consumer Cellular’s new “Shot on Flip Phone” campaign? The wireless carrier rolled out the new effort—featuring out-of-home placements in New York City, as well as social media and influencer work—on Oct. 16. The campaign images, such as low-fi photos of young people playing pool at a bar, were shot on Consumer Cellular’s new flip phone, the IRIS Flip. Employees from the brand's internal agency, Studio 95, took the majority of the photos in Portland, Ore., Craig Lister, the brand’s chief marketing officer, said in a recent interview. “Shot on Flip Phone” furthers Consumer Cellular’s goal of being the wireless brand for those 55 and older—a focus of its recent “Freedom Calls” work from Alto. But the campaign could pique Gen Z’s interest, too—some of whom are also embracing flip phones for nostalgic reasons and to lower their tech dependency. A recent Consumer Cellular survey found that among consumers considering a flip phone, 65% of boomers want one to replace their smartphone, while 47% of Gen Z consumers want one in addition to their smartphone. While there are some OOH placements in Phoenix, the brand was more focused on New York City. “New York is really the center of the media universe,” Lister said, adding that the city draws boomers and zoomers alike. “The idea of New York was [that] it was a great market for us to bridge those two universes together.” Consumer Cellular worked with agency The Mayor on the concept, Havas Edge for the OOH efforts, Bandolier for its influencer placements, as well as Studio 95, according to Lister. The influencers include people who could appeal to both younger and older generations, such as golf pro John Daly, Lister said. The influencer posts will roll out on social media. The campaign will include both paid and organic social placements. The work will run through the end of the year. Lister said he expects the campaign to have more of a “national footprint,” in addition to more images down the road. To date, Lister said Consumer Cellular has spent less than $250,000 on the campaign, although he noted that the spend could increase as the campaign continues.

Consumer Cellular debuts ‘Shot on Flip Phone’ campaign, spoofing Apple’s ‘Shot on iPhone’

Featured Stories