Ring-a-ding of the Crazy Frog!
By Grigoriy Anoshenko

The ‘Crazy Frog Ringtone’ phenomenon has caught a fancy among an audience wider than anyone could have ever imagined. The ‘Jollyphonic Dingtone’ with its amphibian protagonist ruled the ringtone market for a long time...Popular still the crazy frog fan club has only been making additions throughout its journey from Germany to the rest of Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

The Crazy Frog ringtone was broadcasted for the first time on Belgian Television in mid 2004 and later the adverts moved all over the world. Based on the ‘Annoying Thing’ a computer animation created by Erik Wernquist, the motorbike riding crazy frog is also known for its outrageously irritating T.V. commercial. Ironically it generated an unusual liking among youngsters around the world. The ring tone held on to the top position of the U.K. singles charts for almost 3 weeks. The famous single Crazy frog using ‘Axel F’, (the theme Beverly Hills Cop) released by Jamster, the mobile content company that owns rights to it moved into the top slot in Britain and outsold Coldplay’s Speed of Sound. For the first time ever, a ring tone entered into a scuffle with full length tracks and won.

Research found that chocolate sales were declining in the U.K. for the first time in 50 years as teenagers spent their pocket on mobile phones and mobile ringtones. According to University of Birmingham sociologist Peter Webb, who has studied leisure consumption practices among teenagers, the success of the single reflects the growing trend for young people to spend more money on mobile phones and computers than music.

Research and Surveys also suggest that the famous ringtone owes its success to its unique selling point i.e. ‘Talk ability’. Most people adore the Crazy Frog but there are a few who detest the annoying creature.

Either you like the Crazy Frog or no, you cannot escape the fact that it is probably a first huge mobile ringtone phenomenon globally. It can be easily compared to a success of a blockbuster film. It also set a new trend and made mobile carriers and content developers to mull over development of content only for the mobile platform, and offer users an exclusive content offering.

Several content owners, brands and even television networks are flirting with the concept of developing properties specifically for the mobile platform. Already films have been first released on mobile before their theatrical release, artists have debuted their new albums in form of ringtones on mobile and even a television station has debuted on the mobile first.

Somewhere all these have been enthused by the phenomenal success if Crazy frog worldwide. It’s a number one case study on how mobile content can promote your property and even generate revenues.

Crazy frog is a testimony of the growing popularity of mobile content and quick adaptation to the medium by teenagers and young audience. But the mobile content and entertainment industry is keenly watching for the next big thing that would surpass Crazy Frog’s popularity.