BT Wireless to ring changes

BT’s mobile phone arm BT Wireless has finally appointed a design consultancy, understood to be Lambie-Nairn, to create a new identity before it is de-merged from BT later this year.

Although BT Wireless refuses to comment and Lambie-Nairn denies the claim, sources close to BT confirm Lambie-Nairn is working on the identity project.

BT design director David Mercer confirms he is “involved” in the appointment, but adds, “The work we are doing here is highly confidential and I just don’t want to comment.”

A BT Wireless spokesman also refuses to comment on the brief for the project or how many consultancies pitched for the work.

BT Wireless, BT’s mobile phone division and parent of BT Cellnet, will de-merge from the communications giant by the end of the year. This is a key part in BT’s strategy to reduce its £30bn debt.

The purpose of the rebrand is to reflect the split, says the spokesman. “In all probability, the new name will not include BT,” he says.

“The rebrand may or may not include a name change for Cellnet,” adds the spokesman.

BT has said it is considering a single brand for its four mobile phone networks in Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. These are BT Cellnet, Viag Interkom, Esat Digifone and Telfort.

Rodney Fitch has been appointed to brand BT Cellnet’s 350 own-branded retail stores (DW 17 May).

It is under two years since BT put its name to Cellnet but, despite this, the brand has struggled against rival Vodafone and is now rivalling Orange as the number two mobile phone group.