Speed Racer: Usain Bolt Stars In New U.K. Ad For Virgin Media Broadband Service

Virgin Media has signed Gold Medal-winning sprinter Usain Bolt "to front a multimillion-pound campaign to promote its superfast broadband service," according to Mark Sweney of the GUARDIAN. The U.K. campaign, which features Bolt and Virgin Founder Richard Branson, "launches nationwide on Saturday." The TV ad shows Bolt "in a tongue-in-cheek attempt to impersonate Branson by taking over his office and donning his trademark blonde goatee." The campaign, which will be supported by "ads in other media including national press and billboards," promotes Virgin's US$168.6M move to "double the broadband speed for its 4.1m internet customers over the next 18 months" (GUARDIAN, 1/13). The ad, created by DDB, ends with Bolt "pulling his famous ... lightning pose and waggling his finger at the web address" promoting the new service (THEDRUM.co.uk, 1/13).