Virgin Mobile is a wireless communications brand used by eight independent brand-licensees worldwide.
RE*Generation
In early 2008, Virgin Mobile Canada and Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, joined forces to create the RE*Generation movement. RE*Generation aims to empower a generation to help its own and provide a national platform to discuss issues affecting at-risk and homeless youth.
Benefit concert
In November 30, 2008, Gaga joined the movement by doing a benefit concert at Circa, with the proceeds (totaling $35K) going to support the RE*Generation Canada partners, including Eva’s Phoenix, part of Eva’s Initiatives in Toronto, Broadway Youth Resource Centre in Vancouver, and the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative, an international in-school program that inspires youth to help their own generation. Gaga also had a little press conference at the housing facility to speak about why she decided to join the campaign. She signed autographs and took pictures with the kids.
Before the show, she toured Eva's Phoenix, a youth shelter and RE*Generation partner. "This is a really amazing, transitional place," Lady GaGa said of the shelter. "If I can be inspiring to them and be a part of it, that makes me feel more powerful than any of the stage drama or the flashing lights."
2009-11: The Monster Ball
- Main article: The Monster Ball
Virgin Mobile was one of the tour sponsor for The Monster Ball in 2009 to 2011 during the North American dates only. On December 1, 2009, Gaga recorded her pledge to the RE*Generation program that was shown before the opening acts. In the video, she encouraged people to text "REGEN" to 30333 to donate $5 to the movement, and for every dollar you donate Gaga personally matched it, up to $25, 000.
The company also wrapped the official Lady Gaga tour bus and created an official microsite in support of the partnership (LadyVirginMobile.com).
Free I.P. program
Virgin Mobile and Lady Gaga partnered with homeless youth organizations and other LGBT youth organizations to provide volunteers who donated eight (8) hours of their time to help LGBT youth with free concert tickets. The volunteer program started with Lady Gaga's San Francisco concert on December 13 and include all U.S. cities on the tour through January 24, 2010.
"I'm thrilled to partner with Virgin Mobile on my tour," said Lady Gaga. "They are a great brand and company and I'm really happy to see them encouraging my fans to help out homeless youth and the agencies that provide at-risk youth with critical support."
Photo booth
On the American dates, Virgin had a photo booth where fans in costume was offered a free photosession and the photos were later uploaded on the Lady Virgin website and on Flickr.
In 2011, the photos were added a Polaroid frame as to reflect her association with the company. http://www.flickr.com/photos/polaroidlittlemonsters/
Call Gag
During The Monster Ball, Virgin Mobile sponsored a segment where Lady Gaga calls one lucky fan in attendance, notifies the recipient that Virgin Mobile gives her $20,000 to donate the charity of her choice, and invites the lucky fan to come meet her backstage... in front of all fans in attendance. She also gave the friends and two of his/her friends new seats as her security will escort them to the mosh pit. The event was situated right after the performance of "Speechless".
In 2010 to 2011, on the North American dates, she did a similar call.
Little Local Monsters
They also created promotional contest in which ten (10) bloggers are selected as official tour bloggers and are provided with exclusive access to the show and the venue. 2011.
Fast Pass
Virgin Mobile and Lady Gaga have teamed up to create a FastPass initiative on LadyVirginMobile.com where consumers can sign up to be one (1) of 200 Monsters to skip the line with a special FastPass QR code and have their picture taken on the way in that is featured on the official tour site.
2013: The Born This Way Ball
Contest
Virgin Mobile Canada hold a contest where their members could win tickets to see the show in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal or Hamilton.