Doesn’t this guy remind you Michael McDonald on MADtv?

I’m sure every Canadian has now well acquainted with Koodo Mobile. If you aren’t, you probably live in a hole somewhere.

Koodo has delivered perhaps the most agressive advertising campaign since those darn McGuinty public school ads during the 2007 Ontario general election.

Koodo has been exposed to death on TV, radio, internet, newspaper, billboards, malls, and transit vehicles and stations— the whole media schbangle. Their motto is that it’s Canada’s fat-free mobility provider. Their use of Helvetica font plays on the “Nutrition Facts” labels you find on all Canadian food products. I suppose the 80’s fitness fashion is just trying to be corny and playful.

Koodo is the result of Telus Mobility’s product differentiation strategy, and it’s intended to be the youthful and discount branch of the larger cellular service provider. This is Telus’ second attempt at marketing to the youth demographic, after a failed attempt with Amp’d Moble. Anyway, Telus is just playing catchup, as all the other major cell phone networks already have established youth-oriented brands: Rogers has Fido, and Bell has Solo and Virgin.

With its aggressive advertising, it seems difficult for me to not listen. From its website, Koodo emphasizes fat-free mantra, with its no-frill, no access fee, no activation fee, no contracts, per-second billing approach.

Looking at their plans, though, I have to say that I’m pretty disappointed. There is absolutely no cost savings compared with my existing Telus plan. Koodo is just a repackaged version of the same crappy and expensive plans— which is to be expected, since why would they lower prices at the demise of its parent Telus brand?

The only thing slightly different is the “Koodo Tab,” which is essentially the ‘catch’ of having no contracts. Essentially, users can put up to $150 of the cost of a new phone on a tab. Then Koodo will apply 10% of a user’s monthly bill toward paying off the cost of the phone. It’s really not much different from getting the $150 credit for signing 3 year contracts.

Sadly, Koodo might as well be dumped like TV fitness machines it’s attempting to mock.

Enjoy the commercials:
Mobile Diet Infomercial - [youtube.com]
Mobile leg lifts - [youtube.com]