AT&T , everybody ’s favorite whipping male child , is attempting to modernise its image as a “ life style company ” and implement — gasp!—a irrefutable posture in its ad .
This sea change in its approach to stigmatisation , entitled “ Rethink Possible , ” comes after anobnoxious and drawn - out war with Verizonover mesh publication — a struggle AT&T ultimately lose — and is perfectly timed with rumor thatVerizon will get an iPhone by and by this yr .
A runnel - through of AT&T ’s latest television spot reveals a company with cutesy ginger in its footstep . Instead of blasting its rival or even cite the strength of its EDGE ( not 3 G ) signal , AT&T wants to focus on fellowship excogitation . Esther Lee , senior vice president for brand marketing and advertizing for AT&T , assure The New York Timesthat the flavour of “ Rethink Possible ” is “ so much in continue with what an innovative caller like AT&T embodies . ” David Lubars , chair and chief creative military officer for ad agencyBBDO North Americatold the Times that “ Rethink Possible ” actuate AT&T “ out of the gloom ” and prop up it as a “ forrad - thinking , affirmative company . ”
Among the casualties of the transformation in focus are the Luke Wilson advertising ( thank you ! ) , its honest-to-god logo , and even perhaps mention of AT&T ’s rollover minute .
But that ’s all ad - man lecture — what is AT&T actually doing to acquire its company and products ? After all , AT&T claimsit spends “ an average of $ 18 billion to $ 19 billion a yr on our internet , our applied science and our invention so as to tug the hereafter of how masses are croak to live on our meshwork . ” Well , besidespumping $ 2 billion into its networkinpreparation for the iPad 3 G , I have no approximation . And what does “ life style company ” intend anyway ?
“ Rethink Possible ” vocalize to me like a dying - breath attempt at reconstitute a company that many deem broken trash . If Verizon and its husky 3 G connection get an iPhone , AT&T is in serious problem . I for one will immediately bail on my AT&T contract , endpoint fees be anathemise , and I suspect many others will do the same .
Still , AT&T retains a solid relationship with Apple , seeing as it will provide 3 thou military service forthe iPadand give consumers a chance to parry the Wi - Fi iPad ’s connectivity issues . But once Apple starts layer - hopping between two cellular company , the future of AT&T as a carrier is up for grab .
