Fake iPhone Queues

There probably is some sound marketing psychology to the idea that if people are seen lining up for something, other people will assume it's desirable. I've often suspected that those people who line up to buy Sony Playstations (or whatever the product might be) are getting paid. From Scotsman.com:

A POLISH mobile phone operator said yesterday it had hired actors to stand in line to buy Apple's iPhone as the device went on sale for the first time in the eastern European country. The company, Orange, said it hired the fake customers as a way to stimulate interest.

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Posted on Mon Aug 25, 2008


Comments

Did it work as they expected?
Posted by Plexu  on  Mon Aug 25, 2008  at  03:42 PM
Yahoo! News:

Actors paid to line up for iPhone launch

Mon Aug 25, 8:02 AM ET

WARSAW (Reuters) - When Apple Inc rolled out its iPhone in the United States, some fans paid big money to be among the first to get their hands on the device. In Poland, people are getting paid to line up.

"We have these fake queues at front of 20 stores around the country to drum up interest in the iPhone," a spokesman said.

As part of a marketing campaign ahead of the iPhone's Friday launch in Poland, the country's largest mobile operator Orange is paying dozens of actors to stand in queues.

Apple sold about one million of the new iPhone models in the United States around the July launch weekend, but buyers in Poland may be reluctant to pay hefty monthly charges.

There were no queues at T-Mobile's Era stores, which will also due to launch the iPhone on Friday.
Posted by Christopher  on  Mon Aug 25, 2008  at  05:27 PM
Back in the 1960's, my friend, hoaxer Alan Abel, paid people to stand on line for tickets for his movie, Is There Sex After Death? They would "buy" a ticket, go into the theater, exit by another door, go around and get in line again. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Mon Aug 25, 2008  at  06:59 PM
Well i dont know about others but next time there is a big video game systmem launch such as playstation 3 or Xbox 360 i plan on bein gin line to get it or atleast have it on reserve, not because i want it, but because i want to be one of the people that turn around and sell it for 4-5 times the price on ebay lol
Posted by Tim  on  Mon Aug 25, 2008  at  10:04 PM
"I've often suspected that those people who line up to buy Sony Playstations (or whatever the product might be) are getting paid."

I really don't think so. I've participated in some of those lines (most recently for the Wii, back when it first came out) and I'm pretty sure no one in line was being paid. I know I wasn't. But I would have accepted money if offered. 😛
Posted by Sakano  on  Tue Aug 26, 2008  at  11:26 AM
did you really stand in line for a Wii? lol i got one and didnt have any trouble getting it WITHOUT standing in line lol. guess there just wasnt shortage of trhem here like elsewhere. It was the pink DS's that were hard to get here at that time.
Posted by Tim  on  Tue Aug 26, 2008  at  11:55 AM
It wasn't that there was a shortage, I just wanted it on the first day it came out. I wanted prevent the hassle of having to hunt for it the next few days/weeks.
Posted by Sakano  on  Tue Aug 26, 2008  at  11:57 AM
Cranky, that stunt of your friends is a variant on the ancient British theatre tradtion of the 'hired claque' a section of the audience paid to fill up sets and lead the applause of the rest of the real audience.

An interesting twist though. 😊
Posted by D F Stuckey  on  Wed Apr 22, 2009  at  07:47 AM
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