Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Homeless people are being turned into walking wi-fi hotspots at $2 per 15 minutes

A marketing stunt where homeless people were turned into walking internet hotspots with T-shirts proclaiming 'I'm a 4G hotspot' has caused outcry in Texas.

Branding agency BBH was forced to defend its 'Homeless Hotspots' initiative after it was described as 'dystopian' - and lambasted as a 'shameful, hideous, patronising, dehumanising idea' by British brand strategist Luke Scheybeler.

The Homeless Hotspots initiative was trialled at the SXSW music and technology conference in Austin, Texas - with a suggested price of $2 per 15 minutes.

The homeless people stood beside conference goers to provide internet via a MiFi devices which connect to the internet via the 4G phone network and offer web access via a wi-fi network.

The idea was spotted by a New York Times reporter, and swiftly caused outcry. Read More

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