Since 2009, Virgin Mobile has done an incredible job leveraging its presenting sponsorship of Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour. While sponsors commonly sponsor a musician/tour to generate awareness and buzz amongst a core consumer base in major markets nationwide, Virgin Mobile has gone to extra lengths to ensure that its partnership with Gaga delivers much, much more.
The prepaid cell phone company has teamed up with Gaga to promote a number of cause related initiatives, including efforts to combat youth homelessness (specifically LGBT youth) and encourage consumers to become volunteers. Virgin Mobile also reaps value from the partnership via live concert integration, tour branding elements, VIP initiatives, and more.
Over the past three (3) years, Virgin Mobile's activation tactics have included:
- Virgin Mobile and Lady Gaga recently teamed up to create a promotional contest in which ten (10) bloggers are selected as official tour bloggers and are provided with exclusive access to the show and the venue
- The promotion is designed to help Virgin Mobile reach one (1) million Facebook "likes" by the end of 2011
- Contestants are encouraged to submit video entries to VirginMobileLive.com and then the general public has the chance to vote on them via Facebook
- Virgin Mobile and Lady Gaga are partnering with homeless youth organizations and other LGBT youth organizations to provide volunteers who are willing to donate eight (8) hours of their time to help LGBT youth with free concert tickets - read more here
- Virgin Mobile has completely wrapped the official Lady Gaga tour bus and created an official microsite in support of the partnership (LadyVirginMobile.com)
- Virgin Mobile and Lady Gaga have teamed up to create a FastPass initiative on LadyVirginMobile.com where consumers can sign up to be one (1) of 200 Monsters to skip the line with a special FastPass QR code and have their picture taken on the way in that is featured on the official tour site
- During live concerts, Virgin Mobile sponsors a segment where Lady Gaga calls one lucky fan in attendance, notifies the recipient that Virgin Mobile gives her $20,000 to donate the charity of her choice, and invites the lucky fan to come meet her backstage... in front of all fans in attendance. The live concert integration serves as a concept that sports organizations could look to replicate (having one alum call a lucky fan in the stands and reward them with free X while having it all captured live on the scoreboard). Check out the initiative below: