Will the pug get Zoo Zooed?

In perhaps one of the most memorable ads of this decade, Hutch (now Vodafone) created the memorable network campaign featuring the dog (pug) and a boy. It was loved by one and all for its simplicity and a melodious track. Without showing any of the run of the mill stuff, it instantly established the network superiority of the brand. (Though personally for me it was a pain in Hyderabad during those days to be on their network).


The boy and dog were repeated a couple of more times.
1. To communicate the transition from orange hutch to Pink hutch
2. Brand transition from Hutch to Vodafone.
The latter part was a master stroke by the brand to showcase the switch in name. And to back it, the client and the agency came up with a equally good media innovation. They blocked the air time on the entire STAR TV network for a period of 24 hours to announce the name change. In fact the ad break was interesting woven in the story line of the prime time serial (Kasauti Zingadi Ki, if i am not wrong!). From Star Plus to Channel V, from Star News to Star Gold, the pug ran amok for 24 hours.
After a long and a series of uninspiring ads on magic box and the likes, Vodafone broke new ground and spoke a new language with Zoo Zoos.
A campaign of 25 ads promoting VAS, they were specifically designed to cash in the IPL season. Gibberish became the in thing. Majority of the ads were used to promote VAS services. Everyone was hooked on. Most of them loved the commercials. With over 3 lakh fans on face book in no time, Zoo Zoo’s have enjoyed success like nobody’s business.

So what next?
With the number portability launch round the corner, the biggest pull for any telecom brand will be their network. Vodafone for better or worse enjoys a better perception with the boy and dog story. The competition especially Airtel is already up and running with sugary commercials from the last one year. Sooner, Tata Indicom followed with its superior network and Idea with their own take on the same.
Can the pug co-exist with the Zoo Zoos or will the Zoo Zoos shoo away the pug? The biggest advantage of the Zoo Zoos is its adaptability to any service or a product offering. You already have the handset bundling offer (Magic Box) as an ad already. So the exclusivity to promote only VAS services is out.
The million dollar question is: will Vodafone bring the pug back or will they bank on the Zoo Zoos to drive the message home?
Will the pug mark fade away?