If your basic ad is costing you £18, does that mean you're in London EO? I can't say I've ever tried a Vivastreet ad there personally, but from what people I know have said it's probably not worth the bother there unless somebody who's tried it with all the hideously expensive addons has found otherwise .
I just moved to London. I spoke to a VS rep and it looks like in order to stand out from all the agency ads, for all the bells and whistles, it'll be £100-120 a week for VIP, featires, etc. Half off if you get a promotion.
So the most affordable choice to be seen would cost a total of £18 for the ad, plus £30 for a highlight. The VIP and Features are £80-120 each, per week, lol. Viva is pretty much cashing in. Those who pay the least get buried. Even to be featured as new is going to cost £10, though you just paid £18 for a supposed 'premium' ad, as a new person, lol.
If I got more than a few calls from the same nutty guy, it might be worth it but £18 to be buried under the same girls on every page, not find myself unless keyed in specifics (price range, ethnicity), I dunno.
I'm going to focus on cam and phone but come spring I'll try out one of the VIP options and report back.
I'm guessing the exposure might be worth it, but only if you've got a weekly budget of paying £100+. If I'm going to do that, I want to invest more in my brand.
Also, kind if hard to go with viva when Ace offers a whole month for the same prices and is said to be quite good.