Crazy frog millionaires invest in Facebook

The three brothers who coined millions from the Crazy Frog phenomenon have followed Microsoft in taking a stake in Facebook. ... The undisclosed personal stake they've taken in Facebook is aimed at helping it crack the German market, where it has yet to make a significant impact against local social networking rivals. The Wall Street Journal reckons they coughed between $10m and $15m. [via The Register] permalink (January 16th, 2008)

YouNeverCall offers $100 for the first Crazy Frog ring call from the moon

File under fun. YouNeverCall, the popular online cell phone superstore, today announced a $10,000 prize award for the first cell phone call placed from the moon. This announcement follows on the coattails of Google's announcement of $20M in prize money for landing a craft on the moon by Dec. 31, 2014. ... In order to claim the $10,000 prize a cell phone call must be placed by a device or person present on the Moon's surface. This call must pass through a commercially available cellular phone to YouNeverCall's corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. Furthermore, the company is offering a $100 bounty to the first party who receives a cell phone call on the Moon that rings using the infamous Crazy Frog Ringtone. [Press release via SMS Text News] permalink (September 22nd, 2007)

Crazy Frog Racer Video Game

Crazy Frog gets a videogame and as always, some bad press: "Yet another cash-in on this unreasonably popular marketing icon and much like the Annoying Thing himself, Crazy Frog Racer is a stupid and shallow racer that is never entertaining and not worth your time." [via Thunderbolt Games] permalink (September 17th, 2007)

Crazy Frog ringtone requested at funeral

At one UK funeral service, the dearly departed went to meet his maker to the accompaniment of the Crazy Frog ringtone. Just one of the bizarre choices, in a round-up by The Sunday Mail, of music requested by grieving families. This is the first for a funeral to the best of my knowledge. Once though (in 2003), as the organ player didn't make it to a wedding on time, the bride walked down the aisle to the ringtone, "Here comes the Bride" played from one of the guests' mobile phones'. permalink (December 17th, 2006)

Crazy Frog hops to No. 1 on Canadian charts

Crazy Frog is No. 1 on the album charts in Canada, reports Jam! Showbiz. Crazy Frog's "More Crazy Hits" debuted at No. 1 in the nation this week, racking up over 15,000 in sales, according to data compiled by Neilsen SoundScan. The debut also helped the ringtone sensation's other release, "Crazy Hits," to re-enter the top 10 at No. 10. permalink (August 2nd, 2006)

Crazy Frog Look-Alike Contest

A japanes Crazy Frog look-alike contest - from Japan of all places. Check out the winner in a video on you tube. [via digg]. permalink (June 19th, 2006)

Crazy Frog announces second LP and New Gadgets

New Album - Ringtone superstar Crazy Frog has announced a second long-player, with another host of mindblowing pop hits, reports Drowned in Sound. "The album, entitled 'More Crazy Hits'will be released on June 26th and features the terrace anthem of the 2006 World Cup, We are the Champions. New Gadgets - Gadget Candy reports on a new range of Crazy Frog-branded electronic games and gadgets which about to be unleashed, (unfortunately without linking either to their news source or Website where these gadgets can be found). permalink (May 24th, 2006)

Crazy Frog goes World Cup

He's back! And just in time for the World Cup. This time he is aligning himself with the hopes and dreams of all teams with his version of “We are the Champions“. Jamster is releasing brand new and exclusive Crazy Frog content including the realtone, the videotone and full track. [via MocoNews] permalink (May 19th, 2006)

Crazy Frog Mic

Tech Digest spotted something very wonderful at London Toy Fair 2006, a Crazy Frog karaoke mic from Nikko Toys, so "youngsters learn and perform a number of the Crazy Frog’s ‘hits’". That made my day. [via Tech Digest] permalink (February 6th, 2006)

Ringtone growth standstill blamed on Crazy Frog

According to UK's Sunday Times, the controversy over the mis-leading marketing of the Crazy Frog ringtone has badly damaged this formerly fast-growing segment of Britain’s mobile-phone market. "The £250m ringtone business had doubled in size since 2004, but last year’s row about the Crazy Frog and similar promotions has brought growth to a standstill. Ringtone sales for the final quarter of last year are expected to show a decline of 10% or more. The heavily advertised Crazy Frog, a famously irritating jingle sold by Jamba, was the most high-profile example of a ringtone subscription service. Many consumers thought they had made a one-off purchase, and became angry when they realised they were being billed again and again. Andrew Bud, chairman of mBlox, said tougher requirements imposed on ringtone subscriptions in August and September had hit business badly and it had still to recover. ... Other ringtone firms report a similar impact. Martin Higginson, chief executive of Monstermob, which has diversified its business away from Britain, said the ringtone business had probably been severely damaged. “The number of people downloading ringtones has increased but the revenue that’s been generated has declined.” permalink (January 16th, 2006)

New Crazy Frog Video

Did you know there’s a new Crazy Frog video? Popcorn. I read this on Moco News, a side note in James Pearce 12 predictions for what will occur in the mobile content space this year. Crazy Frog is here to stay if James has it right. All our money of course is on Crazy Frog. Don't miss his insightful post. I hope this prediction occurs: A new service will be introduced, which I’ll dub “ringforward tones“, which will be touted as the next stage in mobile music…following ringtones and ringback tones. In the same way of Comverse’s avatars Klonies ringforward tones are bought by people to be played on the handset of the people they call. . permalink (January 9th, 2006)

Crazy Frog Ringtone Co Spent £45M On Ads In 05

Jamster, the creator of the Crazy Frog ringtone, spent GBP45 million on advertising in the U.K. in 2005, largely on traditional media such as television and newspapers, writes TMC net. The figure was far greater than the advertising spend of big retailers including Marks & Spencer PLC and Asda Group Ltd. Jamster's advertising outlay increased more than threefold in 2005, lifting it from 167th place in the league of advertisers in the U.K. in 2004, when it spent GBP14.7 million, to 22nd by mid-December 2005. permalink (January 7th, 2006)

Here comes Crazy Frog Football

The Crazy Frog Football online game allows you to play football with the annoying thing! The game, played through simple movement of the mouse - the main objective being to keep the ball in the air, combines sound effects and animation. If you drop the ball, a "funny" animation will be played which changes depending on your score. The most common being the Crazy Frog being blown up. [Press release] permalink (January 5th, 2006)

Crazy Frog named most irritating ad of the year

The Crazy Frog ringtone ad has been named the most irritating TV execution of 2005 by the British public, writes Brand Republic. A survey of 1,000 adults revealed that 60% of the public thought the ad, showing the creature riding an invisible motorcycle to the backing of a version of 'Beverly Hills Cop' theme 'Axel F', was the most irritating of the year. Much of the irritation was undoubtedly caused by Jamster's media buying strategy, which saw it spend £10m in May alone. The ad was aired 83 times an hour. "The ringtone was downloaded over 11 million times by June alone. It goes to show that irritation through repetition can breed success," commented Marketing magazine editor Craig Smith. Image from Crazy Dead Frog. permalink (January 3rd, 2006)

Crazy Frog makes £40m

The Crazy Frog ringtone has made more than £40 million this year, complains The Times. It was the year’s best-selling ringtone, taking 31% of the British ringtones market, now worth £133 million. The ringtone market is now worth more than double the value of CD single sales, excluding internet downloads. Novelty tracks are most popular with the 5 to 15-year-olds who drive the ringtone market. Sweetie Chick’s Tweet Tweet, another animal offering from the company that licensed the Frog, was the year’s second-biggest selling ringtone. Mobile music is expected to generate £4 billion worldwide. The artists best placed to benefit are those which combine music and visuals. Gorillaz enjoyed two of the year’s best-selling ringtones with Feel Good Inc and Dare in the Mobile Entertainment Forum chart. Next year record companies will introduce “truetone”, incorporating music and videos, in partnership with mobile companies. Publishers are scouring back catalogues to revive old tracks in a new format. Mark Summerfield, KPMG music and entertainment partner, said: “Predictions indicating that the ringtone market will grow next year by around 7 per cent show the continued importance of this revenue source for artists and record companies.” The Crazy Frog was downloaded 11 million times across Europe this year, boosted by a £3 million television advertising campaign. permalink (December 24th, 2005)

Refunds ordered over Crazy Frog

Hundreds who complained about been ripped off by the Crazy Frog ringtone are entitled to a refund, an official watchdog has ruled. The BBC reports. The premium rate services regulator, Icstis, said the Crazy Frog ads did not clearly explain the costs involved. It fined service provider mBlox £40,000 ($70'400) and ordered it to refund the 338 people who complained to the watchdog. Others who ran up huge bills by signing up to the subscription service but did not make a complaint are not eligible." Related articles: -- Crazy Frog Cleans Up its Subscription Services -- Watchdog kicks Crazy Frog ad outside kids' viewing time -- Probe launched into "Crazy Frog" sales tactics -- That Crazy Frog: The Dark Side permalink (December 20th, 2005)

Crazy Frog headed to the big screen?

According to Sky News, that bothersome but brilliantly-marketed “Crazy Frog” – who originated in ringtone form and recently invaded video games and the music charts – is headed to the big screen. "Producers are already courting some rather large-ish names into supplying voices for the film – including Oasis muso Liam Gallagher, whose apparently got a woody for the ringtone king." [via Moviehole]. That made my day. But not everyone feels the way I do. Check out Crazy Dead Frog. Horrors. permalink (December 18th, 2005)

Crazy Frog Cleans Up its Subscription Services

According to Cellular News, "Jamster, the company responsible for "that annoying thing" - namely the Crazy Frog ringtone franchise has announced the roll out of a new global brand campaign, simplified subscription plans and a parental control service. The brand campaign launched yesterday in the USA with a new logo, redesigned web site and new print, online and television ads, which will appear on national and local broadcast and cable networks. The campaign will be extended to Europe, Australia and other countries over the coming months". permalink (November 22nd, 2005)

Hoppy Christmas from Crazy Frog

Will there ever be an end to that Crazy Frog silliness? Hope not! Well rejoice all you annoying people, for a Christmas version of the famous ding-ding-ding-ding ringtone is on it's way. According to The Guardian , "The Christmas Crazy Frog will be available in the next few days as a ringtone and is also likely to challenge for the Christmas number one spot in the singles chart". permalink (November 18th, 2005)

Crazy Frog goes gaming

Another first for that crazy frog! Number one on the charts for 4 straight weeks last summer, beating Coldplay's new single, first ringtone character made into a plush toy, and now Crazy Frog has gone gaming! According to Pocket-Lint, "Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest publishers will be distributing the Crazy Frog Racer game in the UK, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand and the export territories. Crazy Frog Racer will be a wacky races style game that will supposedly appeal to all fans, young and old that really enjoyed that repetitive ringtone. Players can either choose to play as ‘The Annoying Thing’ and D'Ding Ding their way to victory or take on the role of one of eight other unique playable characters and beat the frog at his own game. Crazy Frog Racer is scheduled to launch in November 2005 for PC CD-ROM and PlayStation 2." Related article: - Crazy Frog Leaps to Playstation permalink (October 21st, 2005)

Crazy Frog Ringtone Plush Character

I saw this on Sky News last night, and it's mentioned today in an article from Glasgow Evening News. Get ready for this, one of the most popular Xmas toys this year will be the "Crazy Frog Ringtone Plush Character", made by Vivid Imaginations (for £12 or $ 21) - just in case you thought you were getting away from that crazy frog! Another first too, a ringtone-singing-plush-toy! You can pre-order him on Amazon.co.uk permalink (October 6th, 2005)

Watchdog kicks Crazy Frog ad outside kids' viewing time

That Crazy Frog is in trouble again, according to ABC Money. "UK's The Advertising Standards Authority today ruled that the commercial for Crazy Frog ringtone not be shown before 9 p.m. "The advertising watchdog was responding to complaints from nearly 300 parents who said their children had run up large bills after downloading the ringtone. The ASA said the ringtone firm Jamster failed to make it clear that it offered its services on a subscription basis and that the ringtone was not available on a one-off payment basis. This is the second time that Jamster was hauled up for failing to make subscription charges sufficiently clear." permalink (September 22nd, 2005)

'SCHNAPPI' SET TO RIVAL SUCCESS OF 'CRAZY FROG'

It seemed for a while that the success of Jamster's "Crazy Frog" would never end. The furor has diminished a little but now the next mobile phenomenon is on the way, thanks to Joy from Germany, reports IT News. Joy has created a chart topping crocodile, Schnappi, that even managed to knock Robbie Williams from top spot in Germany. Joy sings the song and her voice has apparently captured the hearts of most of Europe. The song features as a mono, poly, realtone and video ringtone. After the chart success in Germany and indeed the success of the Crazy Frog, Jamster! is hoping that the reptile can reproduce chart success in the UK. The song will be released as a single on the 29th August by Universal Records. permalink (August 9th, 2005)

VeriSign behind Crazy Frog

NBC11.com reminds us that staid old VeriSign is the company behind Crazy Frog (VeriSign acquired Jamba in 2004) and he's coming to the the States in the next two weeks. "VeriSign is best known for verifying the legitimacy of e-commerce sites. And, as the keeper of .com and .net domain names, it connects Web browsers with the sites they're looking for some 14 billion times a day. But it's fast becoming a heavyweight in mobile entertainment, including games, sports and news updates, and, of course, lucrative ringtones. permalink (July 26th, 2005)

Crazy Frog Descending On North America

Having already conquered the U.K. singles chart with a remake of "Axel F," computer-animated creation Crazy Frog has his sights set on North America, reports Billboard Postplay. "Following its July 25 U.K. release, Crazy Frog's first album, Crazy Hits, will arrive in North America in September via Universal. Crazy Frog began life as a ring tone, which, according to BBC News, has earned nearly $18 million to date for the Jamster company. The character crossed over into the world of music after being inserted into a dance remix of "Axel F" by producer Wolfgang Boss; the cut spent four weeks at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart and has sold 450,000 copies in the UK, as well as 500,000 units in France." permalink (July 14th, 2005)

Crazy Frog' Leaps To Playstation

Digital Jesters has just signed Wallaroo Licensing Company's "Crazy Frog" icon. The firm has exclusive worldwide interactive entertainment rights across all formats, and will publish the first Crazy Frog computer and videogame this November on PC and PS2, reveals Webit. Digital Jesters will develop the first Crazy Frog video game worldwide, for release across on various platforms. November will see the Crazy Frog and his chums thrown headfirst into an arcade racing game. "This is the deal everyone wanted," enthuses Leo Zullo, from Digital Jesters. "Given the competition, we're obviously proud to have secured this deal, which will offer Digital Jesters exciting opportunities from Christmas onwards." Crazy frog Racer will hit the shelves in Europe in November 2005, priced at a one off cost of £19.99 (€29.99). Rest of the world will follow in Quarter 1 2006. permalink (July 1st, 2005)

Probe launched into "Crazy Frog" sales tactics

The regulator that oversees premium-rate phone services is launching a probe over the wildly popular "Crazy Frog" mobile phone ringtone, after complaints that it dupes children into signing up for an expensive subscription plan, reports Reuters. The regulator has the power to levy fines of up to 100,000 pounds and shut down services that do not comply with its guidelines. Crazy Frog may also face additional restrictions if it is found to be targeting children under the age of 16. Related: - That Crazy Frog: The Dark Side permalink (June 29th, 2005)

That Crazy Frog: The Dark Side

He's back! for the second time today, but from the dark side. "While ringtone-maker Jamster! and its telephone service provider mBox made an estimated £10m from the craze by January alone, thousands of customers may have lost out, reports the BBC. ICSTIS, the watchdog for premium rate services, is investigating mBlox after receiving 110 complaints from the public about the Jamster Crazy Frog service. Ms Bell said the watchdog was also investigating whether Crazy Frog products had been inappropriately aimed at children, particularly because of their use of dancing cartoon characters. Tones from the Crazy Frog character have been heavily promoted in prime-time television adverts". permalink (June 27th, 2005)

Crazy Frog hops off the number one spot

That annoying Crazy Frog has finally been knocked off the number one spot after four weeks at the top. "Moving down to the number two spot, the frog has given way to allow 2Pac and Elton John to go straight in at number one with Ghetto Gospel, by rapper 2PAC, who died in Las Vegas in 1996, killed by unknown assailants. [via ITV.com] I'm not sure what this says about the music industry. First a Frog Ringtone is on top of the charts for 4 weeks straight, only to lose it's place to a dead rapper's single (?). To understand, read MTV: Presley and 2Pac have become legendary in their respective genres, inspiring conferences and tributes — and enthralling fans with their music years after their deaths. Other rappers,have also had material released posthumously, but none of it has enjoyed the critical and commercial success of Tupac's (2Pac') posthumous releases. permalink (June 27th, 2005)

Crazy Frog Gossip - Daily Dose

More buzz on that Crazy Frog... Contact Music reports that Eighties rock legends QUEEN have launched a stinging attack on anthemic rockers COLDPLAY - claiming all their songs sound the same. Apparently QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor, favours the frog over COLDPLAY's offering. "I actually prefer it to the Coldplay record," and adds, "everything they do sounds too similar." permalink (June 26th, 2005)

Sheep take on Crazy Frog

The ringtone industry will never get over that Crazy Frog, and since imitation is the best form of flattery, a UK tourist board has come up with their own sheepish version. The BBC reports that a selection of sheep bleating shave been added to a remix of the William Blake classic, Jerusalem, to create a ringtone. "And just as the Crazy Frog craze appealed to the young and urban, it is hoped the Baarmy Sheep will appeal to those with a love of the countryside. The ringtone can be downloaded to phones with MP3 capability or real music players from Cumbria Tourist Board's website. Dont miss playing the Baarmy Sheep movie "The recordings were made by Charley Darbishire, 27, who runs a recording studio in Ulverston. Mr Darbishire added: "Unlike some famous musicians, sheep are easy to work with and don't mind doing re-takes." permalink (June 24th, 2005)

Fourth week at top for Crazy Frog

The Crazy Frog ringtone has held onto the singles chart top spot for the fourth week, reports the BBC. "The new version of Axel F - the theme to the Beverly Hills Cop films - is the first mobile ringtone to make it into the charts. Meanwhile, Coldplay have hung on to the number one position in the album charts for a second week with X&Y." Watch clips of the chart-topping Crazy Frog video. permalink (June 20th, 2005)

Shoot the Crazy Frog Game

The Crazy Frog Ringtone is spinning a cottage industry. Over at I Hate That Crazy Frog Ringtone, you can play a shooting based game, and guess who's the target?, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin's worst amphibious enemy. Click once to make him jump, then again to fire, click again to reset Shoot too soon and he will go too high and crash, too late and he will only slide a short distance. (Thanks again Paul!) permalink (June 10th, 2005)

Crazy Frog spawns tough Welsh rival

File under fun. It's been branded the most annoying craze to sweep Britain for some time. But despite sparking record complaints The Crazy Frog mobile phone ringtone is still number one in the charts, for the second week in a row, according to icNorthWales. (Thanks Paul!) "Now North Wales has picked up on the phenomenon - with what could be called its own Llyffant Lloerig. A Welsh-language version of the ringtone appeared on the internet last week and was quickly snapped up by Welsh mobile users. But the Welsh frog has a slightly filthier mouth than his English counterpart and speaks in a distinct Caernarfon accent. Last night the Welsh frog's creators were warned by the image's owners - leave our frog alone, or else". permalink (June 9th, 2005)

Chris Martin wants to eat Crazy Frog

File under silly. Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin - and husband of Gweneth Paltrow - says he wants to eat Crazy Frog's legs. The Crazy Frog tune beat Coldplay to the No 1 spot in the charts. Chris said: "We refer to him as 'That Little Frog'. We don't like the frog and it brings me out in hives. I go red. "The point is that little thing should have its legs chopped off. I'd like to eat them in a restaurant." [via Ananova] permalink (June 7th, 2005)

'Crazy Frog' becomes cult figure

Brand Republic explains the synergy that played out between the different medias that brought the Crazy Frog to this week's number one spot in the UK charts, outselling Coldplay's single, "Speed of Sound". "In a great example of a fully integrated ad campaign where the connection between the TV, radio and poster activity is strong, the different media worked together to reinforce the Crazy Frog character. The 'ding ding dididing' sound conjures up a image of the frog - surely one of the most annoying, but effective sonic logos ever. Some great hype has gone hand-in-hand with the advertising. There are websites dedicated to Crazy Frog, with talk of releasing a dance mix of the ringtone as a single. On Radio Aid day in January, Chris Evans played Crazy Frog to Tony Blair during a discussion about mobile ringtones - an exchange that was then repeated in news bulletins across the day. Crazy Frog even made it onto Classic FM. At a time when ringtones have overtaken sales of music singles, Jamster has been a phenomenal success. Crazy Frog alone has reportedly made it about £14m ($25.6m). Ringtones are now big business, worth an estimated £300m ($549m) in the UK alone. More - The Crazy Frog: History and Success Explained permalink (May 25th, 2005)

The Crazy Frog: History and Success Explained

Few people have heard of Wernquist, a 27-year-old Swede, but even those who haven't may still appreciate his gesture. He - perhaps more than anybody else - is responsible for the Crazy Frog, according to The Telegraph. "The story of the frog starts in 1997 when Daniel Malmedahl, a Swedish 17-year-old, recorded his impersonation of the sound made by the two-stroke engines of his friends' scooters. His recording raised chuckles, and he put it on the internet, and was even asked to perform it on Swedish tele-vision. For years, members of the online community who surf the web for fun, found it and laughed before telling their friends. The recording grew increasingly popular and, in 2001, was used in the Insanity Test, an online joke. If you could listen to the sound and stare at a picture of a red Formula One car for more than 60 seconds without laughing, you passed the test: you were clearly insane. In 2002, Wernquist, a designer of 3D-graphics, took the test and chortled. He didn't know where the sound came from but, using his computer skills, he spawned the frog character, which he called The Annoying Thing, and created an animated cartoon which he posted on the website of his company, Turbo-Force 3D, where it is still available free of charge. When he created the frog, he did not even know who had made the noise. His website included a request for the creator of the sound to contact him. A friend of Malmedahl's saw it and put the two in touch by phone. To this day, Wernquist and Malmedahl, who now sells computer components, haven't actually met. It was only in 2004, that a worker at Jamba!, a German ringtone company, spotted its popularity on the internet and put it forward as an idea to his bosses. Markus Berger-de Leon, chief operating officer of Jamba!, says: "All of us saw it, the whole executive team, and we thought 'This is going to be big'." They approached Wernquist and Malmedahl and bought the rights. Anyway, the frog teaches two business lessons. -- Its success relied on the pairing of the internet and mobile phones. Without the web, the sound would probably be languishing on a tape somewhere. -- And, while advertising played a role, the frog's success was built largely on the viral marketing of teenagers texting one another. [...] What is more, no shops have been involved. The frog has been sold direct via SMS text messages and over the internet. Indeed, the frog illustrates one of the most striking aspects of the mobile-phone-content business: the way it is evolving outside of traditional media companies rather than within them. permalink (May 22nd, 2005)

The Crazy Frog ringtone "would make a great dance record"

As announced in February, the Crazy Frog ringtone will be released as a music single. Drowned in Sound gives the details: "Crazy Frog Axel F" will be out on the 2nd of May and blend the frog's 'vocals' and the theme tune from Beverly Hills Cop. The single is released by German clubbing outfit Bass Bumpers, comprising Reinhard Raith and Wolfgang Boss. Reinhard said: "The Crazy Frog ringtone was huge in Germany and I believed it would make a great dance record. It needed a melody, something to get the hands in the air, and Wolfgang suggested the Axel F record which is one of the best 'hands up' tunes ever made." permalink (March 30th, 2005)

Crazy Frog Ringtone to be released as UK music single

Many popular songs have been turned into mobile phone ringtones, but the tables have been turned and a ringtone is set to be released in the U.K. as a music single in April, according to IT World. The distinctive "Crazy Frog" ringtone is described on the crazyfrog.co.uk Web site as sounding like "someone pretending to make race car noises" and has been downloaded 1 million times. A group calling itself Pondlife took the ringtone and turned it into a song called "Crazy Frog Chorus," which will be released in the U.K. by Tug Records on April 4. Related stories on the "Crazy Frog": -- The Crazy Frog mobile phone ringtone - Adverts for the Crazy Frog mobile phone ringtone have played hundreds of times on certain TV channels over the past few weeks; it has earned an estimated £10m, and according to the company selling it, is the most successful ringtone in the world. -- Ringtone Frog's Genitals Deemed OK for British TV - Despite complaints from 60 people, Britain's advertising regulators said on Wednesday there is nothing inappropriate about the genitals of an animated frog whose high-pitched squeals are sold as a mobile phone ringtone. Click here for more "ringtone firsts" permalink (February 17th, 2005)

the Crazy Frog mobile phone ringtone

The BBC writes about a UK fad I'd never heard of, the Crazy Frog, whose ringtone, is making a fortune! Cick here to listen "The sight of a strange blue-grey frog with a helmet and goggles, revving up an imaginary motorbike while making an infuriating "ding ding dididing" noise, is familiar to much of the country. In fact to most of them it's too familiar... far, far too familiar. Adverts for the Crazy Frog mobile phone ringtone have played hundreds of times on certain TV channels over the Past few weeks; it has earned an estimated £10m, and according to the company selling it, is the most successful ringtone in the world. Now a dance mix has been recorded and played on Chris Moyles's Radio 1 breakfast show. permalink (January 27th, 2005)

Psycho Teddy Ringtone

Free Psycho Teddy ringtones are available for a limited time only... He's a loveable bear... until his phone rings... He's a pale imitation of Crazy Frog, by my books. [via Sony BMG] permalink (February 1st, 2008)

Coldplay's Chris Martin slams ringtone generation

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has hit out at the music industry, insisting "proper" music is no longer held in high regard. The singer has criticised the trend for mobile phone ringtones of chart tunes, insisting it is killing the current music scene. He says, "All that matters in music today is that your song becomes a ringtone." [via Contact Music ] Chris Martin has voices his ringtone rage before, but in a lighter way, when The Crazy Frog tune beat Coldplay to the No 1 spot in the charts. "The point is that little thing should have its legs chopped off. I'd like to eat them in a restaurant." permalink (March 14th, 2007)

Nokia N80 As Recording Studio? First Ever Album Made on a Mobile.

After yesterday's news of a ringtone released as a record, today we get news of an album recorded entirely on a cell phone and released on the Internet. Omri Levy's new EP "about:blank" is the first album to be recorded entirely onto a mobile phone. The album was recorded on a Nokia N80 handset, using an Alon MP3 dictaphone, according to Mobile Crunch. "The release, “about:blank”, which is available via Omri blog is availble for free under a Creative Commons release." Other related ringtone-release related firsts: -- Planet Funk First band to release a single by phone (april 2006) -- Chinese singer Long Pang Launches First ‘Mobile Album' In China (June 2005) -- Crazy Frog Ringtone to be released as UK music single (February 2005) -- "SUPER SMART" released its album "Panda Babies" as ringtones (April 2004) -- Ricky Martin's Album Debuted on Cellphones in S Korea (June 2003) -- Finnish band Nylon Beat, released first ringtone teaser a (March 2003) permalink (November 21st, 2006)

Britain's mobile phone ringtone boom has come to an end

Britain's mobile phone ringtone boom has come to an end, at least that what a leading market research group, MusicAlly, and Universal Music are saying. The Telegraph reports. "Industry watcher MusicAlly.c predicts that the ringtone market will shrink for the first time ever this year. It forecasts that within four years, turnover will be just £78m ($147m), less than half last year's total. The research was borne out by comments yesterday from Universal Music UK, which admitted it had seen its first decline in revenue from ringtones over the past six months. Ringtone revenue growth had raised hopes both for mobile operators - struggling to make a return on investments in 3G - and for record companies, in their efforts to offset falling revenues caused by piracy. Both Universal and MusicAlly said last year's controversy surrounding hidden subscription charges for certain ringtone services was partly to blame." ... Steve Mayall, of MusicAlly, said another reason for the ringtone decline was the growing ease with which people could ''sideload" songs from a computer to a mobile at no cost." Related: -- Ringtone growth standstill blamed on Crazy Frog -- Refunds ordered over Crazy Frog -- Crazy Frog Cleans Up its Subscription Services -- Watchdog kicks Crazy Frog ad outside kids' viewing time -- Probe launched into "Crazy Frog" sales tactics -- That Crazy Frog: The Dark Side permalink (October 5th, 2006)

Web Hosting company registers mosquitone.net and exploits teen buzz ringtone

More on Teen Buzz ringtone... Utah based Web hosting company BlueHost.Com registered the domain name mosquitone.net on May 30th, opened a blog called Mosquitone and submitted an entry to digg.com which reads: "If anyone remembers last years Crazy Frog ringtone, this year, the mosquitone, also known as the teen buzz will be number 1. I can just see how we are starting to get into the age of ultrasound wars!" Yet strangely, the link to mosquitone.net, shows only a single "Hello World" entry. Just a traffic generating trick? For the record teenbuzz.com - which would have been more appropriate - is already taken (registered in 2005). Hmm, I think "Mosquitone" would have been the perfect domain for SK Telecom's mosquito repellent ringtone which launched in 2003. Teen Buzz Related articles: -- Teen Buzz Ringtone to be made available by "Mosquito" manufacturer -- Teenager repellent "Mosquito" turned into ringtone -- A Teenager Repellent permalink (May 31st, 2006)

Interesting stats from the Times Online

Interesting stats from the Times Online. -- The mobile phone music sector will be worth £6.1 billion in 2010, Informa Media and Telecoms predicts -- Phones accounted for nearly 40 per cent of international digital music sales last year -- Crazy Frog was Britain’s best-selling ringtone last year, generating revenues of £40 million -- The operator 3 sold one million song downloads accesible by both phone and PC at £1.50 each within four months -- Roaming data charges can force up the price of a £1.50 single track to £14 if downloaded in Spain -- In Japan, 99 per cent of digital music downloads are to mobile phones rather than to a computer permalink (April 19th, 2006)

The Ringtone Revenge

Over here at Ringtonia we are CF fans, but we feel it's our duty to report that not everyone feels the way we do about dearest Crazy Frog. See for yourself: The Ringtone Revenge permalink (December 7th, 2005)

Battle of the annoying ringtones

The Crazy Frog's Christmas single - Jingle Bells is available [listen to it here and is expected to become a music chart Christmas number one. But the Baarmy Sheep of the Lake District are launching a pre-emptive strike by making their own version of Jingle Bells available for free from the website of Cumbria Tourist Board at Baarmy Sheep. [via Cellular News] This is not the first time the Baarmy Sheep launches a PR offensive to take out our favorite Crazy Frog. They don't have a chance! CF's Xmas jingle is outstanding! permalink (December 2nd, 2005)

The Ringtone Riddle

How ringtones' success has led labels to the verge of a misstep on music pricing. By Jason Fry for the WSJ. ... "Both in numbers and buzz, ringtones are a big deal now. According to the Yankee Group, ringtones will probably be a $500 million business in the U.S. this year and a multibillion-dollar business globally. That makes them the third most-popular wireless application behind talk and text-messaging. Ringtones are meant for showing off in public-- in fact, they're more for other people's benefit than for yours, allowing folks to identify you as an adherent of 50 Cent or Fall Out Boy or the whole Crazy Frog meme. And the public nature of ringtones means people are much fussier about having the right one, having it sound good and being able to change it the second they feel it no longer represents them -- all things that command a premium price. Downloaded music, on the other hand, isn't principally meant for public broadcast -- music players have headphones for a reason." "Aside from the fact that they're built on music, they really have very little to do with one another," says Charles Golvin of Forrester Research. As the Yankee Group's Michael Goodman puts it succinctly, "ringtones are about personalization. Music downloads are about entertainment." permalink (November 21st, 2005)

UK. Internet ad for ringtone was misleading, says ASA

According to Out-Law.com, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled yesterday that an internet advert for “free” mobile phone content was misleading because it did not explain clearly enough that the content was only free if customers joined a subscription service. "The ASA upheld complaints from two consumers who were charged after accepting an online offer from Boltblue for free ringtones or graphics. The customers complained that the online promotion did not make it clear that they had to join a subscription service in order to access the free downloads." The issue was highlighted during the summer by complaints over the Crazy Frog ringtone, which many consumers bought at a cost of what they thought was £3, only to find that they had unwittingly signed up for a subscription service costing £3 per week. permalink (November 3rd, 2005)