Telus Mobility knows people like monkeys. Their newest Christmas ad campaign for their mobile phones featuring the cute little monkeys and cute little monkey lamp has been such a success, people were asking to buy both the lamp and the advertising. So they decided to give it away – the monkey lamp, that is.

Entrants can go to the Telus Web site and enter to win the retro-cool monkey lamp featured in their ‘Re-Gift’ ads, created by Toronto shop Taxi. ‘The contest spilled out of the ad campaign as a result of the response,’ says Rick Seifedine, Toronto-based VP of corporate and marketing communications for Telus. ‘It was very clear early on that we had a popular spokescritter in the monkeys.’

This isn’t the first time Telus has used animals in its promotional campaigns; ducks, frogs and lizards have been used previously. ‘Every time we get a spokescritter, we get a surge in requests for calendars, posters. The calendar is something we always do – it’s given out to all of our clients.’

But Seifedine says the current promotion – which also includes selling stuffed GUND monkeys in Telus stores, with proceeds going to charities such as The Humane Society and United Way – will help Telus stand out among other mobile phone companies, particularly during one of their busiest times of the year. ‘We’re going to sell half a million phones this Christmas alone. We knew our competitors would come out with strong offers and messages,’ says Seifedine. ‘We’re having a great year because we sell cool phones. The monkeys make it an irresistible proposition.’

Last year, Telus stores raised $29,000 by selling more than 5,000 penguin toys. This year, they hope to double that number by the end of December.

Seifedine says the monkeys, and the retro lamp, are developing a cult following, particularly among students, partly because of the tagline, ‘Avoid the re-gift. Ask for a cool phone.’ The cult status may also be attributed to the fact that some people have been stealing the Telus promotional materials. ‘They’re that combination of mischievous and cute,’ says Seifedine of the monkeys. ‘Anyone who is a little youthful or mischievous had a bias towards the monkeys.’ Contest entry forms appear on the student section of the Web site.

To win the one and only lamp in the national contest entrants just have to enter their contact information online. ‘Sure, we might get names and addresses, but I don’t know what we’ll do with them,’ he says.