AT&T is in the process of making their brand more entertainment orientated after creating two ads that combining two genres of film: Rom-com and sci-fy. The two ads “Bus” and “Surprise” are apart of AT&T’s campaign called “More for your thing” which “plants the brand’s stake” in the entertainment industry. The ads are being featured before new films in theater such as “Mama Mia: Here We Go Again” and “Jurassic World.” “Surprise” is a rom-com about a couple who kiss and the girlfriend turns into a zombie at nighttime. “Bus” features a group of individuals on what appears to be a travel bus that is on a narrow hill and begins to fall off a cliff, but turns into a musical-style flash mob. Co-Executive Creative Director Dave Cuccinello stated that he wants viewers to be able to remember the 90 second ads for their creativity, originality, and wants the viewers to feel that they were on a cinematic journey.
Their new slogan “More for your thing, that’s our thing” emphasizes their efforts to make their brand more personable and relatable to a younger generation. AT&T produced these short ads in order to gain attention from younger target audience. The crossover of the two genres Rom Com and Sci-Fy are intended to be unique in order to draw attention to the viewers. In addition, Rom Com and Sci-Fy are well-liked and popular genres among millennials, which is who AT&T is trying to target. AT&T hopes to continue to create more ads using other genres in order to expand their new image. They want these viewers to be aware of their transition from a television to an entertainment company.
AT&T efforts to re-brand themselves is quite common for companies in today’s society. Countless companies in today’s society are trying to re-invent themselves into a company that is more appealing to millenials. For example, I noticed this same instance in my case study, when Lay’s started their “Do Us A Flavor” campaign in order to gain attention from millennials to spread the message that they are not just a chip company. The campaign was successful and they were able to gain attention from their intended target audience. AT&T has the reputation as just a telephone company, and by switching their image to the be more entertainment-based, they hope to catch the attention of a younger, technologically-advanced generation.
Read the article and watch the ads here: http://adage.com/article/advertising/a-rom-horrific-a-thriller-morphs-a-musical-cinema-surprises/314247/