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The Crazy Frog is loved and loathed in equal measure.

Coldplay singer Chris Martin raged: "That little thing should have its legs chopped off - and I'd like to eat them in a restaurant. I'd don't like the frog and it brings me out in hives I go all red."

Again its nothing new for the success of novelty records to be mixed with brickbats, The Tweets' 'The Birdie Song', Black Lace's 'Agadoo and 'Macarena' by Los Del Rio all drove as many people up the wall as they drove onto the dance floor.

What is undisputedly new and different about is the Crazy Frog is that it is the first mobile phone ringtone to top the charts. The song has been the subject of a huge television marketing campaign and a large part of its sales success has been people, largely teenagers, downloading the song onto their mobile phones.

University of Birmingham sociologist Peter Webb, who has studied leisure consumption practices among teenagers, said the success of the single reflects the growing trend for young people to spend more money on mobile phones and computers than music.

Just as important to the song's success has been the TV advertising campaign which has brought the little blue frog to life through saturation of UK screens.

It is a great example of a fully integrated ad campaign where the connection between the TV, radio and poster activity is strong. The different media work together to reinforce the character, hence the message. The 'ding ding dididing' sound conjures up an image of the frog - surely one of the most annoying, but effective sonic logos ever.

Not everyone is pleased with the campaign, the UK's Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has had around 800 complaints Up to 200 complaints were from parents worried that the advert was targeting their children. But many had simply had enough of the ad, which seems to be on TV screens non-stop. A spokesman for the ASA said: "People want it to be taken off screen because it is driving them mad."

Posted By: Mike_Rohsophed_Offis, Jul 25, 22:08:59