Press Release
11 March 2003
London - 3 UK today announced it had entered into an agreement with Zeppotron, the comedy and entertainment arm of Endemol UK, to provide comedy content for its third-generation mobile multimedia and communications services.
Under the agreement, Zeppotron will be providing 3 with a range of comedy content, including video, audio, text, animation and graphics. Video highlights will include How 2, a series that offers helpful advice and techniques in the most useless of topics, including dancing, flirting and farting. With Graphics, whatever you want to say to someone, you can be sure there is a comedy message to say it. Sample animations include See & Know a fun animated guide to the world around us, teaching users the basics of life using shapes, colours, numbers...and dangerous medical implements; and The Doodles, a new animated series of comic shorts in the classic British picture-postcard tradition.
Lisa Gernon, marketing director of 3 UK said: "People can now pre-order handsets at our 3 stores and selected branches of Carphone Warehouse, Dixons, The Link and Phones4u. Our extensive consumer research over the last eighteen months has shown us that people really enjoy our Comedy product and content. Video clips of jokes and animation are proving to be some of our most popular content when demonstrating the services."
Zeppotron Managing Director Paul Gilheany, said: "We're sitting proudly astride the newly drawn border of technology and entertainment. Zeppotron comedy on 3 handsets is like having a court jester in your pocket without worrying that you're going to sit on his bells."
About Zeppotron
Zeppotron was formed in 2000 from a writing and producing team whose credits include The 11 O'Clock Show and Brass Eye.
Their cult website TV Go Home became both a TV series for Channel 4 and E4 and a book for 4th Estate. Other successes include shopping channel satire Unnovations, which also began as a website before evolving into a TV series.
Most recently Zeppotron has been commissioned by Channel 4 to produce 9x30' of primetime entertainment show The People's Book of Records, due to air at the end of March.
Endemol UK bought 25% of the company in 2000, acquiring the remaining 75% in 2002.
About 3
Hutchison 3G UK Limited will deliver third-generation mobile multimedia and communications services under the 3 brand in the UK, offering a convergence of media, information and telephony to enable live video calls, multimedia content and entertainment while on the move.
3 services will be available from sister companies in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Israel and Sweden.
For further information, please visit: www.three.co.uk
Edward Brewster
Head of External Relations, 3
Direct line: (+44) 020 7010 9318
Mobile: (+44) 07866 735 457
http://www.three.co.uk