Seems it’s time for a strategic shift at Vodafone. To lessen the blow of asset writedowns and mammoth losses, the mobile operator has announced it will move full-steam into mobile advertising. To this end it has tied up with Yahoo to deliver sponsored ads to U.K. users. The companies said they expect to launch the mobile advertising service in the first half of next year. Under the agreement, users who agree to accept targeted display ads on their phones will also save on certain Vodafone services. According to the press release, this proposition “could extend to key Vodafone mobile assets including the Vodafone live! portal, games, television and picture messaging services.” Earlier this year Vodafone said it would consider offering customers free mobile TV, cheap calls, free mobile web browsing or free games and music downloads if they accept adverts. “Since we announced our intention to develop revenue from mobile advertising as part of our mobile plus strategy unveiled in May, we have carried out extensive customer trials,” Nick Read, CEO of Vodafone UK said in a statement. “We will now use the experience to determine with Yahoo how best to ensure customers, who choose to receive targeted messages, get better value as well as a richer mobile experience.”