Orange offers free iTunes films to all its customers

Orange Film To Go scheme will make a different movie available for download every week.

UK mobile operator Orange has a new marketing tactic: free flicks. Well, almost free. Its Orange Film To Go initiative will offer a weekly film from the iTunes Store to all its customers for the price of a text message.

The offer is open to Orange's mobile customers, as well as those with its home broadband package. A new film will be made available every Thursday, with users asked to text FILMTOGO to the shortcode 85060 to get a code used to download the movie from iTunes. Those texts will cost 35p.

Among the titles to be included in the promotion are Oscar-nominated The Wrestler, The Ghost and Che: Part One. Orange is inking deals with various film distributors to get more movies into its pipeline.

The campaign is being backed up by £5 million worth of advertising, so it's a big deal for Orange.

"Giving our valued customers a film download every week to enjoy at home or out and about on a mobile device is a great way to thank them for being part of Orange," says brand director Spencer McHugh.