Binatone tasks Tamba with making retro phone 'The Brick' a success
Binatone has named Staffordshire and London-based full service agency Tamba as agency of record for the launch of 80s-style retro phone, The Brick.
The Brick - named in an attempt to reclaim the pejorative term used to describe mobile devices which predate the current smartphone culture - is being marketed on the basis of its vintage design, potential to become a fashion accessory and battery life, which extends to three months on the power edition, and 28 hours of talking time.
Tamba's wide-ranging remit spans experiential marketing, public relations, social media activity, advertising and point of sale, with Simon Lorenz, global marketing director at Binatone citing versatility as a key area of strength:
“Tamba convinced us with their horizontal capabilities and creative approach. With our big plans for The Brick we needed an agency that can create strong visibility in social and classic media and so Tamba was a clear choice.”
Tamba CEO, Kay Hammond said: "Binatone has a fantastic heritage in consumer electronics but we are particularly excited to now be helping them use social media channels to engage with both the tastemakers and of course consumers who are looking for a more fashion forward mobile handset. Binatone are a progressive company and have quickly embraced the opportunities live marketing and social media present."
The Brick has so far attracted light, reverential mockery from mobile review sites, with an article on Engadget purporting to be written by stockbroker and 80s movie antagonist Gordon Gekko (but in reality written by Daniel Cooper) stating:
"Talking about wimps, those hipsters who use Native Union's Pop retro smartphone handset are scum. Me? I'm all about the Binatone Brick. Cram in a SIM card and you can make calls on this thing AND play Snake (I mean, we are living in the future) even while riding the elevator. But pair it over Bluetooth to your smartphone, and you'll impress everyone when you're walking and talking."
As well as long-lasting battery and bluetooth capability, The Brick is fitted with a USB port, allowing for such accessories as headphones and enabling it to charge other devices.