Verizon takes another swing at AT&T, puts iPhone on the Island of Misfit Toys
By Nilay Patel 
posted November 8th 2009 1:57PM
posted November 8th 2009 1:57PM
Update: Two more ads after the break -- "Blue Christmas" and "Elves." In case you were wondering, it's a sunny 70 degrees in early November in New York and Chicago, which is just about perfect for Christmas ads.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
If only Verizon wouldn't have been so stupid when Apple came to them with the iPhone, but no, they passed and AT&T got it.
Thats not even a real iPhone in the "Misfit Toys" ad !!! Good job VZW!
wow... that's a big slap on at&t's face... lol
I just got away from at&t to verizon cuz there's literally no service in here where i live.... even verizon has a little coverage in my area... maybe it's the hills beside my house that's blocking all the signals... hahaha
Clever, makes you also wonder how long Verizon will run their other "iDon't" adds once they realize the moto sholes isn't really much of a success. The real question is how many people will actually leave AT&T for Verizon once the exclusivity runs out and Apple decides to choose Verizon. I for one actually get great service here in Houston. Not a "fanboyish" question but a legit one being asked in general.
These ads concentrate on the iPhone and AT&T than Verizon. In my opinion they are saying hey the iPhone is an amazing device with terrible coverage so settle for our phones because we have better coverage. Also I felt that Verizon was calling me a misfit toy beacuse I have an iPhone. Verizon is this true?
So let me understand this...
You happen to use/own an iPhone so therefore your iPhone characterizes who YOU are?
Personally, I have enough self worth/self esteem that I need not be defined by the gadgets I use, let alone phone that I own.
[gadget name here] f*ckin' sucks! [gadget name here] totally kicks [gadget name here]'s ass! [gadget name here] has [feature] and [feature] but everyone thinks [gadget name here] is better because of [gadget name here]'s [worthless metric here]. F*ckin' [giant corporation name here] fanbois!
lmao, this is fuckin funny
first ad is the best...
http://www.koosaj.com/video/men-beer-and-football/ lol
Verizon rocks my elf socks off
No matter how many commercials they make, the iPhone on AT&T is better than any phone on Verizon.
"Verizon Elves" ad was the best, "good luck browsing the web on that one." As an iPhone user since 2007,I must say Verizon hit AT&T where they hurt the most: 3G Converge, and I don't blame them.
good thing my wife and I both always seem to get excellent 3g and edge coverage anywhere we've wanted to be (except in some really remote places in southern utah where none of our other friends had coverage either). i recognize that some people are probably not getting good service, and they have a right to spout off hate against at&t (in this case), but i know plenty of people who have been extremely unhappy with sprint and verizon as well. in fact, i'd say of all services one could buy, cell service tends to be universally hated no matter which carrier you're on and the grass is always greener until you switch carriers and slip in poop. i've had nothing but good service from at&t, and i'm happy they were the carrier apple chose to do business with (first) because i like that i can take my phone to other countries and mostly not have to worry, and frankly verizon has a very bad reputation for gouging it's customers, having garbage customer service, and ruining otherwise decent phones with their bloatware and branding.
they seem to be pretty bitter about not having the iphone, which comes off as kind of desperate.
Ha ha ha.
I can't wait for Apple to respond to Verizon and put them in their place just as they did to Microsoft.
Verizon CDMA 3G.
For clowns who think that it operates as fast as AT&T 3G.
@ cgpublic
Could that be because in the Real World, you know the one with which you appear to have absolutely No Connection, Verizon's network (regardless of technology) often performs better than the competition?
http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2009/11/08/video-verizon-att-t-mobile-network-speed-test/
Hint: Put Down That Rotten Fruit and Chew On That For A While.
@Dragngt says: Besides, they are missing 3G coverage on their map in a number of new areas in the southeast. Typical VZW style.
Those spaces on the Verizon maps are where the mountains are, and if you live in the mountains cell phone coverage is the least of your problems :D
HOLY CRAP! those are awesome. The gloves are off now!
Did they ever watch that show? The Island of Misfit toys was cool.
First time I saw this ad this weekend, I literally said out loud "Dammmmmmnnn, that's cold!!!" It's probable one of the most effective cell phone ads I've seen in a long time. It uses a scene that EVERYONE has seen sometime in the last 40 years and gives the iPhone backhanded compliments along the way before sticking a dagger in its back. Nice work, Verizon.
One thing I've not heard speculated a lot is that although Verizon is considered the better network, would it really be that much better if they had 20 million iPhones on their network? Would their NYC and San Francisco coverage be that much better that what AT&T is doing now? AT&T clearly started with the iPhone with a big disadvantage in their network coverage and they've spent billions upgrading. But you're not going to upgrade all of your rural cell towers overnight. Phones on Verizon's network clearly don't use the data network like the iPhone, even with all the Blackberries. Droid might change that but they are going to have to sell a lot of Androids for us to find out.
It's not which network has the iPhone. It's about which wireless company is showing the greatest initiative to upgrade their network. Considering that Verizon already has a launch time frame planned for the 4G network and AT&T seems to still be figuring out it's shitty 3G network, I think regardless of what carrier the iPhone has, AT&T would still suck.
Too bad without the iPhone none of these other handsets with "touch" control would exist yet. Don't know why there has to be hatred. At least respect the iPhone cuz it gave you the business model you are currently fighting over. I guess we all eventually eat our fathers.
Dude touch screen phones have been around before the almighty iPhone, ever heard of Windows Mobile?
Really?
The iPhone certainly moved the technology forward, but it was hardly the 1st touchscreen device capable of making phone calls.
Fact: I was making cellular calls with my touchscreen Compaq iPaq with its GSM sleeve option back at the turn of the century, and the LG Prada touchscreen phone came out before the iPhone as well.
Note: So Now You Know
Yeah but Windows Mobile was stylus, I'm sure he means finger UIs (I'm guessing that's why he has touch in quotes).. and please don't bring up some skin program that could sorta make basic things touch happy, slowing down the already slow WM.
People do respect that Apple really did start this smart phone revolution, and yeah maybe without them we wouldn't have a lot of what we have today like fully touch controls, like more open phones (ie carriers not restricting phones), competent web browsing, etc.. but people are mainly spitting venom at AT&T, and Apple signed this deal with Cingular knowing full well how far behind they were both Verizon and even Sprint. Apple went for the sweet paycheck with Cingular anyways.
It also doesn't help when you decline apps for no reason, disallow basic features like customization, multitasking.. etc.
LOL @ the plane falling. hahahahaha
I'm almost embarrassed to walk around with my iphone now :-(
With advertising like this I seriously doubt we'll see the iPhone move over to the Verizon network any time soon..
Could it be that Big Red denied the iPhone yet again, then teamed up with Google/Android to take AT&T and the iPhone head on!......
I suppose only time will tell... but the evidence points in that direction.
Lmao verizon sure is hatin it huh? Too bad they couldn't get off their high horse in the first place AT&T would probly be hurting for business. Maybe they'll think twice next time??
Even I own an iPhone, At&t should start doing something about their network.
Where does all the profit go? Build some 3G towers nationwide!!!!
@Dragngt
MOOT.....MOOT point not MUTE point....jeez
According to J.D Power's survey, iPhone tops the customer satisfaction by a big margin.
That speaks loud and clear as to who is winning. VZ is very desperate now!
You do realize that the fallacy in your argument is that Apple (manufacturer) and Verizon (service provider) Do Not Compete Directly With Each Other, Yes?
perfect way to respond to being sued for misleading ads, even more misleading ads.
This will pretty much make AT&Ts case.
Their not even bothering to be sneaky about implying that you can't use data outside of 3G areas. Which of course is a bald face lie.
They're not that misleading. Look at it this way: They're clearly stating that it's 3G coverage, not EDGE coverage. Also, if you look a bit further back in Engadget, Digg, or Gizmodo posts, you'll find that AT&T actually slowed down their EDGE network to force their users to upgrade to 3G speeds. So essentially, what we get is an entire country with shitty EDGE speed, and excellent 3G speeds, so long as you're in a major city. I live in NYC, which has insanely fast 3G, but when I go upstate to college, it's all gone, but I'm still paying for 3G.
To be honest, any phone is practically useless on EDGE at this point in time. It just takes too long to load anything
Yea, Everyone laugh and buy those want-to-be iPhones and I'll be using my iPhone and loving it.
The problem with the commercials is, nobody will ever give up on the iPhone, no matter how shitty the coverage is. We'd all rather just jailbreak it, which is what we all have been doing.
I think Verizon should realize this, and focus less on marketing against the iPhone, and more on having Apple open up to them, and other service providers.
lmao.....hysetrical man the land of misfit toys had me dying
Just noting that you will pay more for the Verizon "unlimited" data plan that is limited to 5GB/mo.
I'm totally a Sprint guy but I love this. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this. I've despised Cingular and At&T for years. Shit coverage.
Brrr, it's cold in here! I say there must be some ANDROIDs in the atmosphere!
...ahem, sorry.
But seriously, those ads were great. The Misfit Toys ad was by far the best, so +1 to Verizon and whoever is coming up with these pitches. I'm a non-iPhone user on AT&T, and after all of those annoying "frugal mom ranting about roll-over minutes" commercials, it's great to see some creative ads come down the pike.
Nicely enough, the ads portray the misfit phone as a nice phone with a shitty network.
these ads are awesome! i have an iphone and hate att
The real details. Good read.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/10/att_defends_its_data_network_from_verizon_ad_attacks.html
I just don't understand why the majority of the ads are targeted more towards the iPhone users :\
Verizon is doing pretty good now and I think At&T must improve its network rather than whining
http://thetechnologycafe.com/verizon-mocking-att-fresh-new-ads/
count me in