Droid to get 7AM openings, Times Square ads
updated 02:15 pm EST, Tue November 3, 2009
Verizon confirms Droid launch events
Verizon today confirmed and clarified rumors of a high profile launch for the Motorola Droid. Some of its retail stores will open at 8AM or as early as 7AM on November 6th to accommodate an anticipated rush of early customers. Only mall stores will open as usual.
The carrier has also explained its Times Square promo (link active on Friday) and says it will take over the NASDAQ and Reuters billboards from the 6th through to the 28th with a unique controllable ad. Visitors to the area can call a free number, 1-888-376-4336, that will let them search for nearby attractions through Google Maps and show the results on the large displays. The ads mirror a feature seen in Google Maps Navigation on the Droid.
Both events should combine to make one of the largest phone launches in Verizon's history and underscore the importance of Motorola's smartphone to the provider's fall lineup as its iPhone rival. Verizon devoted only a moderate increase in marketing to the original BlackBerry Storm and is widely believed to have timed the Storm2's ship date to minimize its impact on the Droid's publicity.
