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.

I’m both an equal opportunity appreciator and hater on Apple’s iBranding and Steve Jobs as you can see from my past articles. It’s been such an iconic brand and has moved an entire market in a different direction. That’s why it’s so awesome seeing a company come out guns blazing with a commercial devoted to turning said brand into a farce.

You can see the amazingly popular video (860,000+ plays) embedded below:
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Couple of really interesting facts about the Droid campaign.

• It wasn’t Google, it was actually Verizon behind this ad.
• At no point did it attack AT&T whose network performance has been one of the biggest pain points that iPhone users have complained about.
• Verizon had to license the trademark for the term Droid from George Lucas…. Star Wars is still paying dividends
• The ad felt more like a movie preview from Michael Bay than your usual commercial fair.
• The words Apple or iPhone were never mentioned in the ad.

Apple Created the Target
It’s pretty easy to target Apple as they have a singular vision of a device and expect users to move to it or skip the product entirely. The focus on high margins, crisp user experience, and the Apple vision has always driven Apple’s Product Development.

Why is Verizon Targeting Apple?
This, at first glance, doesn’t make a lot of sense; just a month back there was a lot of speculation about Apple abandoning the AT&T exclusivity to make a deal with Verizon.

The problem here is that it’s extremely unlikely Apple would ever transition to the Verizon as the carrier utilizes CDMA technology which is most common in the US. Not including a keyboard in the iPhone wasn’t just an aesthetics decision, but it also meant Apple could sell 1 device in every country by just changing some software. While CDMA has its advantages, it would mean Apple building 2 different devices 1 on GSM and 1 on CDMA then add in the additional hardware cost CDMA has over GSM and it becomes clear Apple would have to go against their usual mold to do a deal.

Why Not AT&T
Customers often are not savy enough to tell the device failures from the service providers. While the iPhone has impeccable loyalty, AT&T doesn’t. By targeting Apple, Verizon is focusing on the largest threat: customer loyalty for the iPhone.

Conclusion
Verizon’s execution on this commercial was spotless. Best of all, they never gave any awareness back to Apple. Giving a competitor air time is always a dangerous move. Can you send a message strong enough to displace the added brand recognition you are giving them? By focusing on the iBranding, Verizon could set the tone of the commercial while not bolstering Apple’s brand further.

The verdict is still out on Android’s ability to move past Apple in this market, but the commercial is a stroke of genius for Verizon and a big win for Google. Turning the ubiquitous definition of what a phone is that Apple has created in their thought leadership into a negative is the right move. I, for one, am eager to see what further commercials Verizon can come up with.