IT'S OVER: Today is the last Orange Wednesday ever
Every week, thousands (mainly students) would text "FILM" to 241 and descend on cinemas to make use of half-price tickets and the free doughballs Pizza Express provided with it's accompanying 2-4-1 promotion. Today, February 25, it's all going to happen for the last time.
Business Insider announced the deal was ending, after 10 golden years, back in December. The end of February was the noted culmination of the promotion, so we knew it was coming. But it's come around quickly. Naturally, many are now sad about the final Orange Wednesday and reliving some of their fondest memories on Twitter in a nostalgic haze.
One of the most popular memories is remembering that you had to be on the Orange network to make use of the offer. Of course, that was easily avoided - Wednesday afternoon would always be a flurry of texts from people on O2, Vodafone, and Three, all hoping one of their friends would send them the code.
People were incredibly emotional when EE announced the news. The company cited a "decline" in uptake as the major reason why. At the time, a spokesman told BI UK:
Orange Wednesday launched over a decade ago and at its peak was a massive success and an iconic promotion. After 10 great years our brand has changed and our customers' viewing habits have also evolved so it's time to move on. That's why the final credits will roll for Orange Wednesdays at the end of February 2015. We're working on new customer entertainment rewards and we'll provide more detail soon.
There has been speculation around a renewal of the promotion from Money Saving Expert, but as yet, none of the rumours have come to fruition. For film fans, it remains a desolate time.