Zeta-Jones to be global face of T-Mobile

LONDON - Catherine Zeta-Jones, the Welsh actress, is to be the face of T-Mobile and will front a global advertising campaign to launch the Deutsche Telekom-owned brand around the world.

The campaign will launch in California in the summer and will be followed by a rollout in the UK, the rest of the US and Europe by the end of the year.

T-Mobile is in the process of rebranding networks in 16 countries, including the UK's One2One, under a single global brand. It claims to have 69m customers worldwide.

It has already launched an advertising campaign in the UK, Germany and Austria starring tennis players and real-life couple, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi. This was created by Saatchi & Saatchi Frankfurt and features the "Get more with T-Mobile" strapline, which will continue to be used in the new advertising.

In a statement, T-Mobile described Zeta-Jones, who is also the spokeswoman for cosmetics brand Elizabeth Arden, as a "self-proclaimed 'technology nut'". The deal is initially for two years.

John Stanton, chairman of T-Mobile's North American operations, said: "Catherine Zeta-Jones is the 'tour de force' to deliver T-Mobile's 'Get more' message globally. Catherine's got the right combination of international appeal, intellect and style and exudes a remarkable attitude of self confidence and reassurance -- all the qualities we want the T-Mobile brand to represent in the marketplace."

"I'm thrilled to be helping spread the message that people can live more and get more from their daily lives by using T-Mobile's service, just as I do," Zeta-Jones said.

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