Carrier Ad wars

Verizon has come out swinging at AT&T over the extent and availability of their 3G network in response AT&T has solidified a response with actor Luke Wilson as their spokesperson.

The First Spot

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The Second Spot
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Great use of the TV Commercial
Both spots for AT&T were 30 second commercials as opposed to the longer 1 minute spots Verizon has been running. The tactic AT&T is using is running both spots within the same advertisement break.

By sandwiching a couple of commercials in-between the two AT&T ads they give the impression that Luke Wilson had continued to cover the map with the post cards during the interlude. This type of storytelling really breaks down the fourth wall on the medium and acknowledges the presence of the audience.

AT&T Had to Answer
In addition to the Droid does ads Verizon has been running a series of holiday related ads that show AT&Ts 3G coverage in a poor light. AT&T has had some perceived issues with service mainly due to the strain the unparalleled success the iPhone has achieved has placed on their network. That being said, AT&T felt very strongly that Verizon’s ads on their coverage were missleading so much so they’ve actually filed a lawsuit against Verizon.

Rating the Commercial
I really like the testimonial from Luke Wilson, he comes off as a very down to earth celebrity and is very like-able. The commercial spots really played up this persona as well by having Luke’s dialogue interject a couple personal connections to some of the locations.

The use of the postcard gimmick was also really ingenious. Looking at a coverage map is a rather detached way of making a phone purchase decision. Putting it into perspective that all these places which are important to you, whether they are places where your family and friends are located or a vacation destination, drives a more human connection.

Conclusion
Verizon’s been on a roll with Droid and their aggressive attacks on AT&T, but these ads are a terrific response from AT&T. If the rest of this campaign features this kind of humor and ability to connect with the audience I think Verizon will have a fight on their hands.