Have Samuel L. Jackson Call Your Friends and Family…Sort Of

The VariTalk company has really got people…talking. They are the company behind the Snakes on a Plane marketing campaign that allows you to send a really personal message to anyone and everyone you know. Among the choices you get to choose from to personalize your call are name (there are some names he can’t say, but the call will still be made without him screaming their name first thing), hobby, job description, even mode of transportation. Not only does he say the name of the person you have VariTalk contact, but Mr. Jackson’s voice also incorporates your own name into the call.

One of the coolest features is the option to provide someone else’s phone number as the “call from” number. So the caller ID will display whoever’s name is registered to the number you typed in. You can easily get people really confused. This program is loads of fun. Just be sure to log on to the Snakes on a Plane website between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. The time zone is determined by the area code of the phone number you are calling. Apparently VariTalk doesn’t want to wake people up in the middle of the night with Sam Jackson screaming at them to, “Watch Snakes on a Plane, quite possibly the best damn movie ever made!”

VariTalk has also put together a similar ad campaign to coincide with the DVD release of “V for Vendetta.” Though not as personalized (the character only says names), it is fun to send a threatening message from the killer to someone who has just watched the movie. It’s definitely one of the more original ways to get people buzzing about your movie, so look for this “celebrity calls” marketing strategy to gain speed over the course of the year.

Aside from movie marketing, the VariTalk Company also has numerous ringtones and messages from famous people and funny characters. These are available for download on VariTalk’s website. You can choose from an assortment of personalities including Mr. President, himself. You can download a ringback on your phone that the person calling you will hear instead of the phone’s default ringing.

President Bush will tell the unsuspecting caller that he will be listening in on this call because (your name) is a suspicious character. The President then goes on to call himself the President of Iraqistan (or United States of Texas, States of the United, etc.). Some of the other characters available for download are the “Movie Trailer Guy,” The Governator and Daffy Duck. These are some of the most original ringtones on the market.