Siemens adopts trendy new image

NEWS Siemens is trying to shake off its staid image by hiring Jean-Paul Gaultier for its forthcoming TV adverts. The German phone manufacturer will also get the French designer to create a dress based on a mobile phone theme. The slogan for the ads is 'be inspired'. Other celebrities will also be drafted in, including violinist Vanessa Mae who is reportedly composing an ode to a mobile phone. Siemens plans to sell mobiles with a wooden veneer - it claims research has found that people are not interested in the technology of phones but in the brand image and aesthetics.