Virgin Mobile USA Launches Penny-Texting Offer With Campaign to Save the Penny

Virgin Mobile USA Launches Penny-Texting Offer With Campaign to Save the Penny

New Text Bundles Feature 'Penny-Texting' - 1,000 Text Messages for $9.99 per Month - In An Offer to Make Abe Lincoln Proud

Only National Wireless Service to Offer 1-cent Text Messaging Without a Long-Term Contract

WARREN, N.J., June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its ongoing efforts to Serve the Greater Good, Virgin Mobile USA, a leading U.S. youth wireless service, has taken on a valiant mission -- to give the long-neglected penny a purpose. Through its newly launched text messaging offers, customers can use the power of copper to purchase valuable SMS text bundles -- some as low as just 1-cent per text for 1,000 messages.

"When it comes to the language of the youth market, text is the new talk," said Dan Schulman, chief executive officer at Virgin Mobile USA. "We know that our customers are absolutely passionate about texting, and Penny Texting satisfies their desire for great messaging value. It was extremely important to us to develop innovative, value-added text offers alongside our newly relaunched voice pricing in response to what our users want."

While pennies have long since lost most of their purchasing power in the U.S. economy, support from the "lovers of Lincoln" remains high. A 2002 national poll found that 65% of Americans are in favor of keeping the penny in circulation -- findings confirmed by a report later that same year from the General Accounting Office (GAO). Virgin Mobile's new text bundles give pennies a bold new purpose -- one that Virgin Mobile will further support with a national advertising campaign and petition drive heralding this forgotten currency.

"For too long the penny has been relegated to menial positioning - crammed into preppy loafers, cast into fountains and piled into canisters next to convenience store cash registers," explains Howard Handler, chief marketing officer at Virgin Mobile USA. "There are even forces in the U.S. government looking to do away with the penny altogether. By giving our customers the ability to communicate with friends and family for just a penny per text through our $9.99 monthly offer, we're restoring the nobility and true purpose of America's favorite coin."

Fingers Get Busy with Expanded Text Offerings and Promotions

Virgin Mobile USA has debuted three monthly text bundles:

- $1.99 for 50 text messages
- $4.99 for 200 text messages
- $9.99 for 1,000 text messages - just a penny per message, the best value
for heavy users

In addition, Virgin Mobile customers can now send or receive picture messages from virtually any capable cell phone for 10 cents, through a limited promotion that expires July 24, 2006. The regular price for picture messages is 25 cents to send or receive.

For light texters not ready to commit to bundles, Virgin Mobile has also improved its per-text SMS pricing. Customers can now send or receive a text message for 5 cents each.

With the launch of these new offers, Virgin Mobile users now have the value and the vehicle for fueling their texting habits. Earlier this year, Virgin Mobile launched the Switch_Back handset to give nimble fingers an easier tool for texting and talking. The Switch_Back is the only handset in the industry with a full QWERTY keyboard available for under $150 without a long-term contract. Featuring a fun, eye-catching design, Switch_Back is perfect for texting, IM, email, picture messaging and more.

Kevin Federline Kicks Off Drive to Make Penny a Coin To Be Reckoned With

To support its quest to save the penny and give the coin a bold new purpose, Virgin Mobile will kick off its "Save the Penny" campaign on June 21st in New York City's Times Square -- with special VIP's performer and rapper Kevin Federline and Virgin Group founder and chairman Sir Richard Branson on hand to help spread the word.

A custom-designed truck manned by Virgin Mobile's penny ambassadors will scour the streets of Manhattan to find those committed to standing up for the noble coin and making a donation to several charities focused on giving young people a voice. New Yorkers can throw a penny into the truck or put their own John Hancock on a petition to the U.S. government, opposing factions working to try to eliminate the penny from U.S. currency. The campaign is designed to let our leaders know that this historic symbol of American commerce is beloved and must not be discontinued.

And it doesn't stop there. Virgin Mobile will drive the truck full of pennies to Washington, D.C., to send our lawmakers a message about the value of this much-maligned currency. All of the pennies collected will then be donated to The RE*Generation, a Virgin-sponsored pro-social initiative dedicated to connecting young people with organizations working on the front lines of activism.

"Virgin Mobile users are known for making their voices heard and standing up for what they believe in," comments Handler. "We are certain that their energy will carry this campaign forward to help save the penny from extinction."

About Virgin Mobile USA, LLC:

Launched nationally in July of 2002, Virgin Mobile USA, LLC is the nation's first wireless network created for and defined by youth. 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. The country's first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Virgin Mobile's four million customers have access to a service portfolio that includes multiple voice pricing options, a full range of handsets and a broad array of messaging, music and mobile content offerings -- without long-term contracts. 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)

Virgin Mobile phones are available at more than 25,000 stores, with Top-Up cards available at more than 80,000 locations nationwide. Virgin Mobile products can also be purchased online at www.virginmobileusa.com or by calling Virgin Mobile At Your Service (1-888-322-1122).

Source: Virgin Mobile USA

CONTACT: Kathleen Reynolds, +1-212-455-8062, kreynolds@cooperkatz.com, or
Alysa McKenna, +1-212-455-8023, amckenna@cooperkatz.com, both of CooperKatz
for Virgin Mobile USA

Web site: http://www.virginmobileusa.com/

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