UPDATED: Master P and Lil’ Romeo officially endorse the new T-Mobile Sidekicks? Not so much
Look at the picture, guys. That’s the face of the new Sidekick LX. And T-Mobz? You’ve honestly just lost all respect from us. Seriously, what in the hell were you thinking? Do you think this is "cool", "fresh", or "hot"? Apparently you do, and that’s the big problem — it’s not! No one identifies with Master P or Lil’ Romeo anymore. No one is going to buy a Sidekick because Master P and Lil’ Romeo made a horrible song which is nothing more than a mockery of product placement. McDonalds tried to do something like this a while ago. They were offering $1-$5 for every spin an artist got on radio if their song had McDonalds in it. Guess what? They didn’t have to even shell out a dollar. Why? Because this was a blatant, uncreative attempt at product placement and it back fired. We’re starting to think your grasping at straws. In the whole world, you couldn’t find a better ambassador for your product? You went from Dwayne Wade to Na-na-na-na. Consumers aren’t stupid, in fact, they’re anything from it. You’re going to have to try a lot harder than this to make a substantial impact in what you’re trying to achieve. There’s a tasteful way to present something like this, and you failed. Miserably. AT&T is killing you left and right, your 3G network is nowhere to be found, and your phones are less than stellar. We really love you T-Mobz, you were our favorite for a while, but you really disappointed us with this. Check out the song below, and music video and lyrics after the jump.
UPDATE: OK, T-Mobz. While some of what we said is true (you really need to work on the phones and network side of things), we might have been a little harsh. Additionally, we received word from T-Mobile directly that Master P and Lil’ Romeo are not endorsing T-Mobile products, and they had no hand in the creation of the "Sidekick" song on their new album. At this point, we’re waiting for Master P and his team to get back to us with some official quotes and an interview but, we thought we’d update you now. A T-Mobile spokesperson told us that "the posting about T-Mobile’s relationship with Master P and Lil Romeo endorsing Sidekick devices is inaccurate. T-Mobile does not have a promotional or financial deal with Master P, Lil Romeo, the Miller Boyz or Take A Stand Records. While we appreciate their enthusiasm for Sidekick devices, T-Mobile was not a partner in the development of this song." Without hearing from the Miller Boyz directly yet, can we take guesses why they’d make a song and video with such blatent product placement and endorsements in it? They wanted to get the attention of T-Mobile to secure a deal, if we had to guess. Or did they actually get a check and T-Mobile realized it was an awful idea? What makes it even more odd, is that MTV and over 15 entertainment sites have a "press release" from Master P and Lil’ Romeo about this new "endorsement". We’ll update you guys when we hear back from Percy. In the meantime, the "Sidekick" music video clip and "press release" from Master P and Lil’ Romeo is below, along with song lyric excerpts from the song.
"Tmail me, my Sidekick, you got one? Flip it up!"
"Hit me on the Sidekick, rollin’ with a fly chick, I ain’t even trippin’ wody, that’s just my sidekick."
"I do it for the trappers, I do it for the dope boys, Sidekick ringin’"
"Halle Berry in the Sidekick, you know I keep a fly chick, I could make it rain, T-Mobile phone in the pocket. Got a pearl white one like my boy D-Wade. I ain’t trippin’ on the haters ‘cuz I’m already paid."
"This thing on my hip? Yeah, it’s called a Sidekick, CHYEA!, it’s more than a phone, it compliment the wrist."
"D-Wade iced out shinin’ like a lighthouse"
"We ain’t got to speak, let your hands do the talkin’ mami, tmail the info to the after party"
"FLIP IT UP, FLIP IT UP, FLIP IT IP, FLIP IT UP, FLIP IT UP, FLIP IT UP"
"Entrepreneur/rapper Master P. (Percy Miller), and his son Romeo have teamed up with T-Mobile to promote the new Sidekick LX. The campaign reportedly was created in an effort to show that the Sidekick is still one of the most popular and preferred "smartphones" in the urban communities.
"Everywhere I go I take my Sidekick with me: school, the movie set, out on the road," said Romeo. "It allows me to run my business and keep in touch with my friends. Texting is still the leading way of communication for us youth. I need my Sidekick like I need my Rap Snacks! I gotta have ‘em!"
“The Sidekick is the most important device for running my ventures,” said Master P. “I can’t always talk on the phone, but I can shoot off a quick text to close the deal when I need to.”
The father and son team "The Miller Boyz" have also created a song about the phone for their upcoming album "Hip-Hop History" entitled "Sidekick", which is due out September 4th, 2007 on Take A Stand Records. The album will be the first profanity-free street record available through the label."
As far as going after the urban/rap market, companies like Timberland and Northface are making a killing
urban/rap market, killing? That’s funny.
Did he not say COMPANIES like Timberland and Northface? If you knew what he was talking about, you wouldn’t have tried to correct him. Nice generalization too.
Guys BGs thoughts are spot on as usual. I don’t think he was criticizing TMobile as a whole so much but rather their horrible marketing decision outlined above. If you want the first BG/Just Blaze interview you’ll see that they both love TMobile. Plus it doesn’t take a genius to see that TMobile is crumbling. They used to have everything, now they have a crappy network, cheap plans, and the greatest customer service around.
I will agree that it’s a marketing suicide, especially the way hip-hop has been doing lately.
But concerning the T-Mobz bashing….it’s quite simple here, BGR is obviously taking the AT&T+iPhone position.
this is pretty telling… until this go-round, all t-mo had to do was throw a party and promise free pre-release sidekicks to get b-list celebs to show up in droves.
now, the tech is so tired and the potential of the platform so unrealized that they have to pay d-listers to promote it to the urban crowd, who will see thru this crap like it was a lohan rehab.
yes, i do believe it’s finally time for me to give up on the hiptop line and imove on to isomething ielse. is that sim unlock ready yet?
UGH! UGH! and triple UGH!
I alway look forward to the NBA season because T-Mobile has been running some of the classiest and funniest ads using Charles Barkley and Dwayne Wade with the T-Mobile Fave 5 campaign.
They had three of them that had me in stitches every time I watched a game. (The Golf one especially.)
And the ones when the boy shows up to take the guys daughter out is another very funny and well done commercial.
Funny, classy, gets the message across and almost got me to seriously think about switching. That’s the way to run an ad campaign.
I don’t care rap/hip-hop very much at all and would immediately zone out if any company approaches me with this as a way for me to become on of their customers.
tmobile is trying to market the younger generation, thats why they keep getting spokesman/woman that they look up to. (paris hilton,snoop, and now master p) Who cares who tmobile gets to sell their products as long as they sell. Ill admit the song they made about the sidekick is kinda lame but owell. Boost mobile is targeted at people who have bad credit or no credit and who is that? Young people. I think its unfair that bgr jumped on tmoble for choosing master p and son to sell their product but the company must of had a good reason. Stop bashing tmobile
i dont kno y they picked master p n romeo of all people….they suck, no body even listins 2 there song any more….t mobile could have done better….they could have ask jay-z, 50 cent, or even bow wow……let me ask yall a question, wat was da last single dat mastyder p put out ummmm…. i dont kno cuz no1 cares bout him
Personally, I think it’s smart. What else can you do with a device that is outclassed, considered a smartphone but, can’t really add software, cameras are first cameraphone reminiscent. Pricing of handset and network features are right up with smartphones with better tech and more features.
And the network is behind on technology as well.
Market yourself to less informed or, people that are looking for simplicity with ease such as it’s keyboard and swivel screen. They could care less about extra functions. They are not going to add software or worry about internet and other new tech. So you use someone that can reach them best. Most are probably still sporting flips trying to text and make calls so the Sidekick is as hype as it was to most here in the late ’90s to them.
Bash T-Mobile all you want at least they dont sell you a phone for $600 dollars and then offer that same overhyped phone for $200 hundred dollars less two months later. I’d rather stick to a company who lets has beens endorse their product than a company who takes me for a fool.
only wordS i have is. SAD REAL SAD!!!
They have gone too far. This is a distastefull way to market their products. I owned a sidekick 2 at one point in my life and the ads with snoop and Paris were mildly entertaining. Enlisting the help of two has beens is a bad move on tmo’s part. Time will tell if this partnership will succeed.
D-50, you should brush up on your reading comprehension.
I feel so bad for them. They actually think having these people as spokespeople will help their sales.
Wow, I hope they’re prepared the exact oppositve effect.
TMobile, I have an idea for you. Try to get people who’s albums sell…idk, be ambitious, like Madonna, Beyonce, Shakira, Justin Timberlake…hell, even GP would be a better choice.
“Bash T-Mobile all you want at least they dont sell you a phone for $600 dollars and then offer that same overhyped phone for $200 hundred dollars less two months later. I’d rather stick to a company who lets has beens endorse their product than a company who takes me for a fool.”
Totally agree with Carlos’ statement above…
We can all remember what happened to a company who tried pulling in the g-thugz demographic. (amp’d)
Damn that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard and I heard “my lip gloss is poppin’, my lip gloss is cool” or whatever that useless piece of shit is.
Lol this is funny!! I’m not mad @ tmob @ all. These ads are to market the sk, not directly to market tmob. You guys are losing focus, the iphones primary set is to market itself, same thing if you see a razor ad. The carrier is part of the picture, but the bigger picture is danger. Bash them all day. I still like tmob, for the simple fact, there not going to rape my pockets for an iphone, there not going to nickel or dime me like sprint did. Or get stuck on themselves like verizon and cripple my bb. Either way tmob works for me. This ad is weak, in fact its almost disgusting, but this is not for us tech heads, its for these kids out there that’s snapping there fingers, and getting hyphy!
What a Piece of shit. I had the sk3 and that was the wrost investment i ever made the service sucked! it practically down every other day the reception was horrible… I have to sell it for 175! i bought for 250.
MASTER P! is fucking wack and old jayz and ludacris can come up with a better song that those sorry as lyrics. TMOBILE is SO LOW LIFE!
THE HAVE do it with this one… I still wonder why i left in the firsr place t-mobile service went down hill.
now im with at&t my service fucking awesome i even have reception all over my house while sorry as tmobile only had 0 to 1 bar in my house and dropped my calls
Have you guys ever gone outside of rural USA? This is the demographic who is using the Sidekick. Take a good look around next time you are in NYC, Miami or LA. Sidekicks being used by guys and gals that fit this demo perfectly. This promotion does not appeal to me but then again, I would never use a Sidekick. Trust me they know what they are doing.
People, People!!
The SideKick is GHETTO!! It has always been and always will be GHETTO.
It is popular low-level consumer device with great penetration. It could even be argued that other device makers should fallow its simple consumer friendly path but DAMN it is so GHETTO!!
No surprise here.
Look I live in an intercity area I have yet to see sa sidkick I mostly see flip an slider phones heck I see hoghscool kids with treos an blackberrys I’ve seen on kid wqith a sidkick an he said it sux an say him witha a perl in less than a year
THE COMMENTS AGAINST THE ARTISTS AND T-MOBILE’S DECISION TO USE THEM TO SELL THE SIDEKICK SOUND RACIST TO ME….I’M HISPANIC AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A BUNCH OF WHITE BEING RACIST….IF ANY OF YOU ARE NOT WHITE….SHAME ON YOU….YOU SHOULD BASE YOUR CHOICES ON HOW YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY AND WHAT YOUR VALUE IS. THE SIDEKICK HAS THE BEST INTERNET T-MOBILE HAS FOR THE MONEY (UNLIM INTERNET AND TEXTING FOR $20) HOW MUCH IS THE INTERNET PLAN ON YOUR IPHONE? PROBABLY MORE THAN YOU CAN AFFORD…..I KNOW YOU ALL ARE NOT MILLIONAIRES CAUSE YOU ARE POSTING HERE….JUST WANNA BEES KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES…..GET A LIFE! YOU WILL BE JUDGED ON THE WAY YOU TREAT GOD’S CHILDREN!
STOP HATING. MASTER P IS RICH AND EVERYBODY HATING IS BROKE. YOU EITHER GONNA BUY ONE OR YOU NOT, IF NOT THEN SHUT UP AND GET A LIFE AWAY FROM THE INTERNET GOSSIP. T-MOBILE IS NOT LOSING MONEY OFF YOU HATERS AND NEITHER IS MASTER P OR LIL ROMEO.
So wait, this is “official” like as in T-Mo is paying for this mess? I just thought P and Romeo came up with this “grassroots campaign” to build some buzz for their CD.
I’m glad the BGR gets the intersection of “geek” and “urban” even if the commenters don’t.