ihug – still revolting

ihug – still revolting

Kiwi ISP ihug’s new ad campaign aims to take the company back to its revolutionary roots as it prepares to unleash a barrage of new offerings. The launch campaign mixes images of an unrepentant Fidel Castro with a history lesson from founder Tim Wood, who tells of the fledgling company’s struggles and successes and its ongoing tradition of radical innovation.

Developed for ihug by agency Consortium, the campaign celebrates the company’s can-do attitude and capitalises on its reputation as an energetic and unafraid upstart. The imagery, which appears in newspapers this weekend, will also feature bold as brass on the Company’s head office in Newton.

“ihug’s approach has always been revolutionary. We did a lot of things that others said couldn’t be done. And we’re still doing that,” says GM Sales and Marketing, Duncan Shand. “ihug was the first company to make Internet access affordable for the masses. We were first to make high speed Internet affordable. We were first to introduce virus protection and spam filters. And over the next couple of weeks we’ll be launching a wave of new initiatives onto the market.”

But why Castro?

“It’s not about politics. It’s about attitude,” says Shand. “We do things differently here. ihug has always been unashamedly out there. It makes this a fun place to work. We’ve never been afraid to take on the big guys. It’s something our customers can relate to.”

And why introduce the Wood brothers. Are they back in the driving seat?

“Nick and Tim aren‘t involved in day to day operations, but they’re part of this company’s history, and we’re proud of our history. It’s one of the things that makes us different,” says Shand.

“Just because ihug is now part of a larger trans-Tasman business, we’re not about to shed our culture. We’re not a bunch of Internet savvy suits. The values and attitudes we started with are still very much alive, and it’s important that customers know that we still have the same go get ‘em attitude.
Is it immature? “If being different, daring and innovative are immature, then we accept the charge,” says Shand.

Long live the revolution.

ENDS

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