Sky Broadband UK Hires Movie Star Bruce Willis to Sell You Internet Access

In the battle for celebrity endorsements Virgin Media, with a collection that spans from Uma Thurman to Mo Fareh, is surely king. Now Sky Broadband hopes to muscle in on the action by hiring action movie star Bruce Willis to help explain why, in a way that only he can, having Sky’s truly “unlimited” broadband is better than a restricted service.

The TV advert (includes print and outdoor ads), which is due to air for the first time today, is expected to see Willis adopt a “stereotypical celebrity persona” as he attacks the headquarters of a presumably rival broadband ISP (BT or Virgin Media etc. – we don’t know).

Apparently Willis’s reason for doing this is because he has just exceeded the download limit of his package while streaming an online movie and doesn’t like the suggestion of being told to watch it in a lower quality instead. So at least the plot of this advert is no worse than that of Hudson Hawk or Die Hard 4.

According to CampaignLive, the TV advert will then encourage customers to demand higher standards from their broadband provider before promoting Sky’s own Broadband Unlimited service and its free WiFi access via The Cloud’s public Hotspots.

Lyssa McGowan, Sky’s Brand Director for Home Communications, said:

“Having Bruce take on a stereotypical celebrity persona adds a sense of fun to the campaign, and at the same time serves to highlight the fact that customers deserve a broadband package that is truly unlimited.”

It’s worth pointing out that customers who reside outside of Sky’s LLU coverage are still forced to take their slower, more expensive and usage restricted (40GB) SkyBroadband Connect service but of course Bruce isn’t going to mention that. The advert is constructed by WCRS, which has delivered brand strategy and integrated communications campaigns to BSkyB for over five years.