In spite of their frequency and production value, every once in a while an advertisement makes an unforgettable impact that propels your own thinking in synch with the brand positioning. True moments of Advertising genius, the kumbaya of “Id like to buy the world a coke”, the jolt to attention from Apples hammer throw. And now I submit to the royal roster of the indelibles: Pests by Tmobile.
How could I be suggesting to add an Eddie Money song to the greatest desert island song list of advertisements you ask? In their latest campaign, TMobile has completely changed the narrative related to an industry standard: Fees.
Persistent paper cuts in the pursuit of commerce, fees are a known and deeply resented phenomenon. Indeed, along with coverage, fees are one of the most quoted pain point for customers. And yet a significant portion of customers still accept additional fee structures even when there are alternatives.
TMobile has been eliminating fees for years and growing market share in the process. Adding more than 850 thousand universal plan subscribers per month, they are growing twice as fast as larger competitors Verizon and AT&T.
Yet despite the economic logic of moving to a lower fee option, TMobile has only freed 10% of the total telecom market from fees. Since the average us wireless customer pays 18% in fees and taxes, according to a November 2015 report by the Tax Foundation, why don’t more customers more switch?
With the left brain convinced, how can TMobile outrage the right side of the consumer brain and sway them to switch to a universal plan?
TMobile’s quirky Pests starts innocently enough. A family in their living room, dad is opening the bills. When he opens the Verizon bill, words like Fee and Surcharge start crawling around like cockroaches on the family table. Yuk. In the words of the besieged father,
“Decent people shouldn’t have to live like this”.
You cant unsee the fees crawling over the same table you play board games with your kids. You cant unfeel the skin crawlie feel of one of those things marching up your arm. You cant un make the unfortunate connection between the word fee’s and fleas.
Like the unforgettables before it, TMobile’s Pest shatters the consumer’s sense of equilibrium. Annoying but tolerable before, fees are now revolting.
Every. Fee. Every. Time.
So a cheers to TMobile and their entry to the lasting halls of advertising memory. This one goes in the Good the Bad and the Ugly gallery.
Feel free to comment with your own unforgettable experiences.
