Mpelembe :: Chrismahanukwanzakah is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S

With nearly 300,000 and more than 14,000 voice mail messages in the first few weeks of the campaign, young Chrismahanukwanzakahans are dialing up 1-888-ELF-POOP for gift advice and leaving messages of good cheer.

"The high number of messages we've received and the passion in the voices of the people that left them indicates to us a high level of engagement," said Bob Stohrer, vice president of brand and communications at Virgin Mobile USA. "The uniqueness of the characters and the fact that we are reaching people across so many outlets is adding life and texture to this campaign in ways that we couldn't have even predicted."

The 2005 "Chrismahanukwanzakah" campaign, designed and executed by Fallon Minneapolis, is centered around the toll-free help line. By calling 1-888-ELF-POOP, Chrismahanukwanzakahans are prompted to make a selection to hear a prerecorded humorous message from the character of their choice. The character receiving the most calls throughout the campaign: the Gay Elf, who has received a steady 50% of all calls each day. There have even been a few offers to set him up with a friend, not to mention a marriage proposal!

Virgin Mobile also cooked up plenty of other ways to get the Chrismahanukwanzakah word out and enable young people to interact with the campaign. These include:

-- A microsite (http://www.chrismahanukwanzakah.com), where visitors can

send e-carols to friends and family sung by the Hindu Santa, the

Hasidic Twins or the angel.

-- In-cinema slides saying: "Wipe away your holiday worries. Call

1-888-ELF-POOP."

-- A Chrismahanukwanzakah tree lighting featuring Richard Branson in

New York City

-- A presence on media-partner's MySpace.com Web site

-- Toilet paper and tissue boxes promoting 888-ELF-POOP

"Virgin Mobile has always been about giving people choice and being inclusive," Stohrer said. "This campaign, as it did last year, has served to deepen our relationship with our customers."

As everyone knows, Chrismahanukwanzakah celebrates the joys of all things holiday like Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, elves -- even Pagans and agnostics. Those who celebrate Chrismahanukwanzakah enthusiastically embrace what makes the season's different holidays unique and recognize the increasingly blended nature of the American family. In fact, research from 2001 found that over 22 percent of American households identify themselves as religiously diverse, a number that continues to grow as the U.S. itself becomes increasingly multi-ethnic.

This year, Virgin Mobile declared Chrismahanukwanzakah an official holiday -- today, Dec. 13 -- and is even giving employees time away from work to celebrate!

About Virgin Mobile USA, LLC:

Launched nationally in July of 2002, Virgin Mobile USA, LLC is the nation's first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and first wireless carrier exclusively focused on the youth market. Virgin Mobile is a joint venture between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Sprint Nextel, which operates one of the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless networks in the United States. More than three million wireless users have rejected long-term contracts and taken control of their wireless spending with Virgin Mobile's Pay As You Go service. Virgin Mobile customers have exclusive access to VirginXtras and VirginXL -- a suite of music, entertainment and fun lifestyle features, including *MTV mobile content created by our strategic partner MTV: Music Television. In addition, J.D. Power and Associates has recognized Virgin Mobile for providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" under its Certified Call Center Program.(SM)

Phones are available at more than 25,000 locations nationwide with Top-Up cards available at more than 70,000 locations nationwide. Virgin Mobile products can also be purchased online at http://www.virginmobileusa.com or by calling 888-322-1122. SOURCE Virgin Mobile USA

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