AT&T tapped Mary J. Blige in a new TV spot that highlights the style and functionality of its quick messaging phones, which have full keyboards to make texting easier and faster.
The ad, called “Shedding Styles,” shows Blige making swift wardrobe changes as each of the featured phones is shown in a close-up: Motorola Karma, LG Neon and LG Xenon. The singer declares that her style is unmatched and, “None of them got nothin’ on me.” The spot concludes with AT&T declaring that it offers “a phone for every style,” and shows the three devices together to display their unique styles.
The spot, which broke today (Thursday), is set to Blige's newly released single, “The One,” which is a clever way for AT&T to draw in the consumers it's targeting. But the phone company also decided to feature the singer because she has “a strong sense of self and a strong sense of style,” said Daryl Evans, vp of advertising and marketing communications at AT&T Mobility. He said that, likewise, the phones are stylish, which puts Blige and the devices “in total alignment.”
The target audience is teens and young adults since these types of devices are popular among them. Evans said that particular demographic is concerned about sleekness, functionality and the cool factor.
By showcasing the “hip, new sleek phones,” Evans said, AT&T hopes to win new customers, “put devices in their hands” and sell them text messaging service plans.
