Telco’s text-bomb cancels TV ad

Vodafone has cancelled its television advertisement after a second person was inundated with unwanted texts and calls due to a number mix-up.

The telecommunications company pulled the plug on the commercial after posting a similar mobile number to Maha Nicholson, who received over 100 texts as a result of the error.

Featuring Boy actor James Rolleston, Vodafone’s changed the number on their latest campaign after Aucklander Cara Selway experienced a severe case of text-bombing after having a similar number.

Yet the change was only one digit different to Nicolson’s, leading to a barrage of unwanted messages for the second time in a week.

"At first I thought it was kind of funny but now it's just getting really annoying," says Nicholson to the New Zealand Herald.

"I've had this number for maybe 15 years, it's been passed around the family ... so I wouldn't liked to have had to change it."

After lodging a complaint with the company Vodafone credited Nicholson’s account with $200, cancelling the advertisement in the process after vowing the ad will still return.

"James will be back later in the week - and this time, there'll be no chance of people getting his number wrong,” says Bart de Beucker Vodafone's general manager of brand and communications.