• by Aaron Baar , November 5, 2017

Verizon is looking to get a two-for-one in terms of timing with its latest campaign for its Fios fiber-optic internet. 

A new commercial timed to the release of the Xbox One X — and showing off the network’s high-speed capabilities — features "Stranger Things" actor Gaten Matarazzo. The spot, which ran over the weekend in Fios markets in the Northeast (and will run on digital and social channels through the month), features the young actor interacting with gaming compatriots via headsets, trash-talking the one non-Fios user whose “lag will get us all killed.”

“[Matarazzo’s] generation grew up in a Fios world, so they’ve experienced firsthand the benefits of what fiber optics can bring to their devices whether that’s gaming or streaming a show,” Andrew McKechnie, chief creative officer for Verizon, tells Marketing Daily. “And most importantly, he’s got a ton of street cred. Not only because he’s on a hit Netflix show, but he’s naturally a curious and enthusiastic person that’s in the know about cool stuff, so he reflects a lot of the kids that live in the homes where Fios is present.”

While the spot takes advantage of Matarazzo’s celebrity and the recently released “Stranger Things 2,” the appeal of networked gaming is a key selling point for the fiber optics network, McKechnie says. The new spot also builds upon a joint Fios/Microsoft campaign for Xbox One game “Halo Wars 2, Ultimate Edition” which featured live gameplay with ah professional gamer.

“When it comes to gaming, we know that players value speed and latency - a millisecond can be the difference between winning and losing,” he says. “With the rapid growth of gaming and eSports, the demand for high bandwidth, fiber optic services like Fios is huge and the launch of Xbox One X is a moment in time in which this is top of mind.”