10 Best Cell Phone Commercials Ever Made Who’s Agitatin’ My Dots? (Nextel, 2006) From the grey-washed, slightly dystopian warehouse world of the meddlesome dot-agitators, to the casual intimidation of the cake-eater, this commercial features a wide variety of WTF, mixed with some concisely presented information on how former US wireless carrier Nextel could help your business with its GPS tracking solutions. This mix of humor with product education, a staple of advertising for decades, was something of a Nextel specialty during the short period of optimism following its merger with Sprint. And the cake-eating guy was on Night Court, so that’s awesome. Crime Deterrent (Sprint, 2006) Speaking of Sprint. This commercial debuted as a halftime spot during the 2006 Super Bowl, and its sudden violence would have seemed brutal if it weren’t so hilarious. The commercial does little to educate consumers about the benefits of Sprint products — not because they aren’t mentioned, but because everything that happens in the latter half of the spot instantly obliterates any memory of the first portion. Even so, this is a spot that stayed in people’s minds for years after its original air date. You (HTC, 2010) This commercial was part of a series of ads, HTC’s first real effort to establish itself in the minds of American consumers following years of manufacturing products for other brands. The “You” campaign employed a catchy remix of Nina Simone’ “Sinnerman” along with a congenial voiceover describing the various ways we’re all different, and how each of us needs a smartphone that suits our own unique needs. In the able hands of advertising firm Deutsch LA Inc., a concept that might have come off mawkish or saccharine instead became poignant, almost touching. It holds up even today, after two years of smartphone inundation, reminding us just how personal these devices can be despite their near-ubiquity. In all seriousness, this is probably my favorite technology ad of all time. Antennalope (Nextel, 2003) To shake off that sentimentality, let’s trek back to Nextel for the requisite early-21st-century absurdity. The company was rolling out its nationwide push-to-talk service at the time, and this was perhaps the most absurd of three similar ads “explaining” how Nextel, America’s only national iDEN provider, had achieved such a herculean task. Watching You, All The Time (T-Mobile USA, 2007) T-Mobile USA has for years been the struggling last-place contender in the American wireless market, but that unenviable position has resulted in some of the most aggressive marketing in the landscape. Often, that means T-Mobile ends up trying too hard. Some of its commercials come off either painfully un-funny or dull and expository. Here, though, the mix of blank-faced creepiness from the father, abject terror in the teenager and the memorable message that “being in someone’s [top] 5 [calling circle]” is quite a significant thing combine to make an ad that’s memorable for the right reasons. Butt Dialing (T-Mobile USA/RIM, 2009) This is one of those ads that’s recently enjoyed a slight internet renaissance due to […]
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