LIME trying to sign Clifton Brown as spokesman
Published:Sunday | July 3, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Telecom provider LIME confirms that it is in negotiations with popular TV personality Clifton 'Twang' Brown in a bid to secure his crossover appeal for a marketing campaign.
Brown would become the latest convention-defying personality secured by LIME, following endorsements by edgy, and at times, controversial artistes.
It contrasts with rival Digicel's reliance on conservative entertainers and athletes.
"Like the rest of Jamaica, LIME has noted all of the excitement around both Clifton Brown and the music video, which was created out of his television interview. If we enter into a commercial arrangement with Mr Brown, we will make any necessary announcements at an appropriate time," said Camille Taylor, corporate communications manager at LIME, in a response to Gleaner queries.
The negoations were previously reported on by the Star, a sister publication to The Gleaner.
Zachary Harding, CEO of Agency 20Seven, had disclosed the negotiations between his client LIME, and Brown, who is managed by 'Skatta' Burrell and Downsound Records.
When contacted, Brown said that he visited LIME on Friday, June 27, and met with workers.
Brown came to prominence this month following a Television Jamaica vox pop about flooding in his Robertsfield community of rural St Andrew.
His malapropisms were subsequently remixed by DJ Powa and posted on YouTube. The video, up to Tuesday, had gained 600,000 views since its June 15 debut and was posted on CBS news. Comparatively, most local videos do not gain over 10,000 views, which is indicative of the popularity of Brown who simply wants a bridge built for his community.
LIME utilised the voice of the average man previously with Nahgeib Miller, more popularly known as Pressa, in its bMobile commercials in the mid-2000s. Miller, a geologist and part-time actor, gained fame from the commercials and attempted to transition to the Canadian acting scene.
J$6-billion loss
Chris Dehring, LIME Jamaica's chairman and chief marketing officer since 2009, has overseen the spending of about J$1 billion on marketing at the company, including J$519.3 million in the 2010 financial year ending March 2011.
LIME, however, continues to bleed, losing J$6 billion in 2010, and carrying an accumulated deficit of J$13 billion on its balance sheet.
To leverage new business from Jamaica's tough and competitive market, LIME has grown more edgy under Dehring and Garfield Sinclair, both of whom are former investment bankers.
LIME Jamaica's mobile customer base is estimated at about a third of Digicel Jamaica's proclaimed two million subscribers.