Members of the public can now get their hands on our amazing array of helpful tools for free at tools.giffgaff.com

The tools are designed to promote giffgaff in an amusing and captivating way, and in true giffgaff style, those who get involved and upload videos of themselves using the tools on YouTube, have potential to get rewarded – by becoming a V.I.G member (Very Important Giffgaffer) with a SIM that means you pay precisely ZERO for UK use of your mobile for a whole year**.

Anyone can hire a tool, all they need to do is log onto tools.giffgaff.com, choose which tool they want and if it’s not entertaining some other lucky punter, it’s theirs

The expansive menu of tools for hire all reflect the giffgaff ‘give and receive’ ethos, by providing interactivity and entertainment. One of the tools for example, ‘the giffgaff cuddle monster’ is big enough for five people to wear and hand out warming hugs. The Tool Hire videos will also be used virally to support the launch and the five best videos will each receive a cash reward for £5,000 each

Please see the videos below for some demos on how best to use the new tools created by one of YouTube’s finest -- DaveBoyz.

The current range of tool hire videos are availble for embedding on http://www.youtube.com/mrtoolhire. Tools by other esteemed vloggers will be released over the next few days.

In these bargain hungry times, the launch of a pay as you go mobile network that offers competitive prices couldn’t be timelier, including free mobile internet[i] for launch, free UK mobile calls/texts to people on the same network² as well plenty of opportunities to get involved with giffgaff and earn limitless hard cash for your troubles. Enter giffgaff, the highly anticipated new mobile network, which is available now from giffgaff.com.

If you’re looking for something original this Christmas, and a gift that gives back, then SIM only giffgaff is for you.

It also offers – with the help of a gimp, a cuddle monster and a musical bicycle – the chance to get involved in giffgaff’s marketing and help make giffgaff famous in return for free UK mobile calls and texts for a whole year.³

Get some money back and help mould your perfect network

giffgaff translated literally means ‘to give and receive’ and by getting involved in the network members earn a generous payback for their efforts, which can be limitless hard cash, mobile credit or a donation to charity.

It’s as simple as recommending giffgaff to friends which earns members 500 points or £5 (1 point = £1).  Other ways are to chat and answer queries on the forum and blog, or help us with our marketing.  The more members get involved the higher the payback, which is paid out every six months.

The Tool Hire website – where’s my gimp?

Now let’s talk about the gimp.   The Tool Hire promotion, tools.giffgaff.com, is a fun way to get people involved and help make giffgaff famous.  In return the reward is a V.I.G. (Very Important Giffgaffer) which is a year’s worth of free UK mobile calls, texts and mobile internet³. The public are invited to follow the Tool Hire instructions and then upload a video of themselves using the tool to YouTube.

There’s 12 eclectic tools for free hire including the ‘giffgaff Gimp’ who will act as the hirer’s assistant; the ‘Musical Bicycle’ which powers a gramophone; the ‘Speechless Karaoke Busker’ that allows members of the public to call in and sing on loud speaker and the ‘poo handler’ which is a specially adapted suit that makes disposing dog poo a lot more pleasant.

The tools are designed to promote giffgaff in an amusing and capturing way and the Tool Hire videos will also be used virally to support the launch and the five best videos will each receive a cash reward for £5,000 each. Check out the tool hire post below for more and here’s a couple of demo vids to whet your appetite.

Bye bye handset and hello cheap rates

With the giffgaff ethical intent to keep carbon low and be environmentally friendly, giffgaff has opted for a SIM only service to take advantage of the 1.8 handsets the average mobile phone user owns.  giffgaff will have broad appeal as SIM only is already a popular choice with nearly six million Brits opting for it, and 42 million people in the UK using pay as you go.

giffgaff is not only good for the environment but also for the pocket, with some of the best value around.

giffgaff matches the cheapest networks on the market and is cheaper than the top four mobile networks.   With 8p per minute for calls and 4p per text to other networks in the UK, free mobile internet at launch, free calls and texts to other giffgaff members², and cheap international calls at a competitive 8p per minute to landlines in the EU, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand and 16p to mobiles.  Calling the USA and Canada is 8p for both landlines and mobiles.  What’s more, giffgaff is also the only mobile operator to not charge for any 0800 freefone numbers. How’s that for a nice giff?

The service also brings together the benefits and flexibility of pre and post-pay schemes which allows auto top up if credit falls below £3.  That means no more headaches about the hassle of having to top up credit and no more shocks from monthly phone bills.

Available to buy now from giffgaff.com, what are you waiting for?

² Members need to top up a minimum of £10 every three months to qualify for free giffgaff to giffgaff calls and texts

³The VIG offer excludes premium rate, roaming, and international calls and texts. Promotional terms and conditions apply

Per Minute, Per Text Pricing – how giffgaff is cheaper than the big networks and matches the cheapest rates around*

As there are so many different reward schemes about, we thought the best way for you to see what you get for your money is to break it down for cost per minute and cost per text.  Yes, it’s that transparent….

*at time going to press

**You need to top-up at least every 3 months to receive free giffgaff to giffgaff calls, if you don’t, other UK rates will apply as above. The free giffgaff to giffgaff calls last for 60 minutes per call, so you need to hang up and re-dial if you want to keep talking. A one minute minimum call charge applies unless stated.

***O2 voice calls on net and landlines drops to 5p after the first 3 minutes each day.

NB One minute minimum call charge applies to all calls unless stated.

Key Facts for Launch Date Alert:

• The new ‘people powered’ mobile network, giffgaff will launch on 25th November 2009 at giffgaff.com with free data to all members for a limited period. The launch will be supported by an innovative marketing strategy which puts its members in the driving seat.

• Defining a new ‘people-powered’ business model, giffgaff launches by asking people to help make the network famous in return for free UK mobile calls, texts and mobile internet for a whole year.

• Operating as an independent company, virtual network operator giffgaff will deliver its service using the O2 network.

 
Tool Hire:

• The original launch campaign is based on a ‘Tool Hire’ concept, whereby a series of fun and eccentric marketing tools will be available for free hire by the public at tools.giffgaff.com.

• The tools are designed to promote giffgaff in an amusing and capturing way, and in true giffgaff sense, those who get involved and simply upload videos of themselves using the tools onto YouTube, have potential to get rewarded – by becoming a V.I.G member (Very Important Giffgaffer) with a SIM that means you pay nothing for UK use of your mobile for a whole year**.

• The expansive menu of zany tools for hire all reflect the giffgaff ‘give and receive’ ethos, by providing interactivity and entertainment. One of the tools for example, ‘the giffgaff cuddle monster’ is big enough for five people to wear and hand out warming hugs. The Tool Hire videos will also be used virally to support the launch and the five best videos will each receive a cash reward for £5,000 each.

Visual Content:

• Work in progress images of a selection of tools can be found at tools.giffgaff.com, all 12 tools will be unveiled on the 25^th of November.

Free Data:

• Free mobile internet will be available at launch for approximately six months while the product is in Beta phase. As part of its commitment to member participation, new members can access up to 100MB of free mobile internet per day from the UK, and in exchange, giffgaff hopes to gain insight from its members, including input on the pricing policy for data in the future.

Key Quotes:

• The feedback so far has been responsive and engaging, with CEO Mike Fairman commenting: “Involving customers in a two-way dialogue is at the forefront of what we want to do. We’ve already seen positive engagement with people and great interest in our model.

• We’re ‘people powering’ ideas on pricing, internet, fair usage policies and open-source API’s, with some great ideas already. So we’re really excited about our ‘people powered’ marketing launch, that’s what we’re about.

The Business Model & Pricing:

• Defining a new mobile network business model, giffgaff, an online only business, is the first of its kind. It taps into existing online behaviour where people get involved by creating content, suggesting new ideas, and supporting each other with queries on forums or blogs.

• The more members get involved the greater the reward and they will receive payback in either cash, mobile credit, or as a donation to a charity or fundraising group.

• giffgaff is a hybrid pre and post-pay offer with the flexibility and control of pre-pay, and the ease of post pay with ‘auto-top-up’ online.

• Full details on giffgaff’s competitive pricing structure will be released at launch on the 25^th of November.

Who’s Involved in the Launch Comms?:

• Albion London is responsible for giffgaff brand strategy and comms planning and have created ‘Tool Hire’ concept. Splendid Communications have focused on the PR and digital outreach campaign for giffgaff.

Social Media Presence:

• giffgaff will be updating Twitter-sphere with live corporate news, updates about the upcoming consumer launch of the ‘Tool Hire’, new content and further info on how members can get involved via @giffgaff

• The giffgaff Facebook campaign will go live on the 26^th of November 2009 at http://www.facebook.com/giffgaffmobile. The page will be community-powered – showcasing user generated content (UGC) viral videos by participating YouTube celebrities and student brand ambassadors from various universities in London. In addition, the page will be enhanced with promotional giffgaff Facebook applications where users can win VIG giffgaff SIM cards with free calls, texts & data for a year.

For Further Information, Please Contact:
Chris Pulicicchio at Splendid Communications on +44 (0)207 324 7200 or email chris@splendidcomms.com / out of business hours: +44 (0)775 131 9989

*Data is free until we can charge for it. You need to top up with a minimum of £10 when you join giffgaff. Excessive usage policy and terms apply. **The VIG offer excludes premium rate, roaming, and international calls and texts. Promotional terms and conditions apply.

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