In early May, AT&T brought back spokesperson Lily, who no longer manages an AT&T store, but, like many, now works from home. Lily introduces herself and alludes to current events (even mentioning sourdough bread) without saying “COVID-19.”
By confining Lily to the home, AT&T is working under the creative constraints of COVID-19.
AT&T has spent $11.9M on the spot, which promotes 5G in a format – video chatting – that’s all the rage during COVID-19, especially in TV commercials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXL93-2it-c
AT&T didn’t just put Lily at home to make her relevant to the stay-at-home times. The company also did so to make do with the production and creative constraints marketers face during the pandemic.
What we think
How can nostalgia marketing support a new launch and connect consumers with a familiar face? AT&T is showing how. But while the campaign is successful now, when it feels so relatable, some creatives could quickly become tired, especially given references to of-the-moment trends like bread-baking.
Keep an eye out for how AT&T evolves away from self-conscious work-from-home jokes to treating virtual work as a given.
About the Author
Rachel Arndt
Rachel Arndt is a Marketing Intelligence director. Drawing on marketing intelligence data, she delivers custom insights by uncovering how brands are marketing—and what they should be doing to move their strategies forward.
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