“T-Mobile: Our Hips Don’t Lie.”
No, that’s not the company’s new slogan, but maybe it should be. T-Mobile US kicked off the announcement of its latest strategic moves in Bryant Park with a free concert by Colombian pop sensation Shakira, who will be working to promote T-Mobile’s service over the course of a new multi-year deal with the mobile carrier.
“Today is all about bringing the world closer together,” Shakira said in a news release release. “I’m excited to partner with T- Mobile and look forward to being able to share my music in new and innovative ways.”
Shakira will be working with T-Mobile to promote her future singles and albums through “exciting platforms,” and will be delivering “once-in-a-lifetime experiences” to T-Mobile customers. In addition to what is no doubt a lucrative deal for the singer, T-Mobile will also be working with Shakira on advertising campaigns in support of the Barefoot Foundation, a charity started by Shakira to build schools in Latin America.
The pop star is far from the first celebrity to partner with T-Mobile. Shakira is walking in the footsteps of Jamie Lee Curtis and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who have both appeared in ad campaigns for T-Mobile and its predecessors in the past.
While more details on the Shakira partnership are scarce, T-Mobile says it will be revealing more information in the near future.
But what will happen to the company’s relationship with Carly Foulkes, a.k.a. the “T-Mobile Girl”?
In a statement, T-Mobile says, “This campaign represents a new direction for the brand — offering consumers a fair and simple choice. As such, the current campaign will not feature the character of the T-Mobile Girl, however she is still a part of the company’s brand family. We’re shooting from the hip and think you’re gonna love our cage-rattling approach.”
This is now the second time T-Mobile has effectively put Foulkes on hiatus. The company let her go in March as a part of its initial “Uncarrier” marketing push, but brought the T-Mobile Girl back in July for more spots.
Previously on GeekWire: T-Mobile plans to offer free data roaming in 100 countries