Advertisements touting 3G networks have been dominating the airwaves for months, and now Sprint is rolling out a new marketing campaign to tout 4G, which it says delivers Web surfing up to 10 times faster than 3G.
The new campaign, announced yesterday, includes TV, online, print and experiential formats that explore the question: What can you do with 4G?
Some of Sprint's answers: Quick downloads of music on the go, streaming video in a mobile environment, gaming online at the same speed as a basic cable or DSL wired connection and Web surfing up to 10 times faster than 3G.
The anchor device for the Sprint 4G marketing campaign is the Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless, which can connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously. People will see the Overdrive prominently featured in the national TV, print and online banner advertisements, as well on a revamped Sprint 4G microsite.
Local advertising also will run in markets where Sprint's 4G WiMAX, provided through its Clearwire investment, is currently live; local ads include print, radio, cinema and digital out-of-home advertising in taxi cabs, airports and elevators.
Sprint explains its premier Sprint 4G national TV spot as follows: A man streams movies via Overdrive to his Samsung Moment while waiting in line at the airport, participates in a video conference on his laptop while eating dinner at a restaurant and then wirelessly games with four friends around a campfire. The advertisement ends with the familiar Sprint Now Network widget wall where viewers will see that inside each box is a different scene showing people having a unique online experience with 4G.
Sprint's 4G is now available in 27 markets. Monthly 3G/4G data plans start at $60, which includes taxes and surcharges; it's the same price as a 3G-only plan.