Wireless customers no longer need to fear Muno, Foofa, Brobee, and Toodee (from Yo Gabba Gabba) or LeBron James (from the Cleveland Cavaliers) with Verizon’s new data plan
and app.
New advertising for the plans, announced last week, depicts these characters (as well as Enrique Iglesias and Selena Gomez) as threats to precious wireless data. In
one spot (filmed at James’ alma mater high school), a high school student surreptitiously streams video of James’ on-court exploits when the
basketball star appears to rat him out. “Don’t worry about it. They can’t hear me, I’m just in your head,” James tells the student. “No matter how you use your
data, Verizon’s got your back,” says a voiceover.
“We’ve all been there when the big game is on, but we’re on the go, so we need to use our data
to stream it,” Cathie McCloskey, director of corporate communications for Verizon, tells Marketing Daily. “There’s nobody better to talk about that than
LeBron.”
Other spots depict the Yo Gabba Gabba characters emerging threateningly from a hedge as a father hands his young son
a tablet to watch before a car trip, Iglesias adding some romance to a campfire coupling, and Gomez encouraging a
fan to repeat playing her song indefinitely.
“We’ve made a conscious effort to better communicate with our customers in a way that’s human and clear to
understand,” McCloskey says. “The marketing for the new My Verizon app and the new Verizon Plan does just that.”
The campaign advertises Verizon’s new data
plans and app, which is designed for better account management (including data usage, upgrades and bill payment) through a phone.
“Our marketplace is as competitive and
combative as it’s ever been, and we believe this new campaign will help us continue to lead, especially with key audiences such as millennials and multicultural consumers,” McCloskey
says.
The ads will run for several weeks on TV and digital channels, and the content will also be featured in social media. Verizon’s social media campaign will also
include SnapAds within user stories on Snapchat. The company will also be sharing extra content with the stars in its social media channels.
“This particular group of
well-known artists, actors and athletes was selected to participate to help talk about these exciting new changes because they’re be able to help us reach our key audiences, including
millennials, in a relatable and entertaining way,” McCloskey says.