ABSTRACT
Direct response advertising launched mobile content aggregator Jamba! on a rapid ascent to global infamy in 2004. Trading as Jamster in the English-speaking world, it quickly became synonymous with the ‘Crazy Frog’ animated character and ringtone.1 Advertising for the ringtone and other Jamster mobile content appeared in a wide variety of mass and niche media, and reached saturation levels at various times. Jamster also advertised on the internet, in Web pop-ups and in promotional messages placed in chat environments. The strategy targeted young cell phone users in particular, and encouraged them to personalize their cell phones with Jamster mobile content, including ringtones and wallpapers. Other forms of Crazy Frog entertainment and merchandise were also heavily promoted and widely adopted into popular culture. In some countries this occurred with extraordinary speed and intensity. For example, in 2005 a commissioned dance single based on the Crazy Frog ringtone entered the UK music charts at No. 1 and held the top position for three weeks. The popularity of the Crazy Frog was reflected in extraordinary financial results for Jamster. It boosted Jamster’s global sales from US$40 million in 2003 to US$500 million in 2005. However, by 2006 revenue was reported to have dropped back to about US$300 million. By this time, the global controversy about the Crazy Frog advertising strategy was beginning to catch up with Jamster.
