Vonage: Pimp That Phone

July 25, 2005

Okay, this is a little bit absurd, to say nothing of obnoxious. But it’s Vonage, so I suppose it’s relevant news.

In yet further mass-market glorification of the “pimping” lifestyle, Vonage Marketing (a subsidiary of broadband telephony provider Vonage Holdings Corp.) has announced its “Pimp That Phone” contest — seriously — wherein four tech heads/designers have received the charge to “pimp out” a simple dial phone, turning said telephone into a work of art.

The contest springs from the trendy tech craze called “modding,” which is designing the CPU of a personal computer to give it a personal touch. Modding, in this case, moves to the telephone.

Vonage is the exclusive sponsor of “Pimp That Phone”, pitting four celebrity technology contestants against each other to compete to see who can express their artistic abilities the best. The winner will then be crowned the ultimate “Pimp Supreme” [ugh], and will walk away with an array of cash and prizes, as well as a resume-worthy new title. (Editor’s Note: No one, in my mind, will ever claim that title over the following, not necessarily in order: Gary Oldman’s Drexl character in True Romance; Max Julien’s Goldie in The Mack; and Harvey Keitel’s Sport in Taxi Driver. Nelly, with his “pimp juice,” however, is an idiot.)

The four contestants will each have 60 days to turn a landline phone — with Vonage service, of course — into his or her own creation. Until that time, the site http://www.pimpthatphone.com/ will continually monitor the four contestants’ progress over the entire 60-day period while viewers may log on, watch their progress and cast their vote for their favorite “pimped out” phone.

---

DRB