Carly Foulkes is out as the the “T-Mobile Girl,” and the telecommunications company appears to be opting for a new campaign instead of the pink-dress-wearing spokeswoman.
The cell phone company did not have the “T-Mobile Girl” in its latest ad campaign, and Foulkes didn’t show up to a press event in New York City announcing a new pricing strategy. Carly Foulkes had been in nearly every T-Mobile television commercial and print advertisement for the last three years, so her absence was notable.
While there has been no official announcement that the “T-Mobile Girl” is being ditched, critics reading the clues seem to think she’s now gone .
When asked about the situation, T-Mobile responded with a statement that seemed to leave questions hanging:
“As T-Mobile un-leashes its bold new plans to reinvent the way people purchase wireless, we’ll be launching a new brand and advertising campaign to clearly show consumers how T-Mobile is shaking up the restrictive industry model. This campaign represents a new direction for the brand — offering consumers a 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.”
The company also told Business Insider that the “T-Mobile Girl” remains part of the company’s brand family, but that was interpreted to mean that she won’t be coming back.
The 24-year-old actress made her debut for T-Mobile in the fall of 2010, setting off a pink theme for its commercials and becoming a well-recognized symbol of the cell phone provider.
While Carly Foulks may be gone as the “T-Mobile Girl,” the company is still pushing forward aggressively with its marketing strategy. This week it announced that it would drop two-year contract plan and replace it with a less expensive per-month model. The strategy is seen as a way for T-Mobile to set itself apart from competitors AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.
