New Verizon Ads to Promote Service Bundle

Telecom giant Verizon is rolling out a slate of new ads and marketing efforts to promote bundled and discounted local, long distance, wireless and broadband products.

The New York-based company plans an introductory television spot using The Beatles’ 1968 hit “All Together Now” to pitch its new “Veriations All” package to consumers in New York state and Boston, who will be the first eligible for the offering.

The bundled offering will combine Verizon’s local, toll and long distance calls, with mobile charges from its Verizon Wireless joint venture with Vodafone , and Internet subscription fees from its Verizon Online DSL unit, on a single bill.

“Introducing the ‘Veriations All’ package. It’s a first, and only from Verizon. Local, long distance, wireless and DSL all together now,” says a voiceover in the spot.

The ad also introduces a guarantee that consumers will save more than $250 a year by switching to “Veriations All”.

“We couldn’t find a better fit with our Veriations All plan than The Beatles’ song,” said Marquita Carter, executive director of marketing communications at Verizon. “Not only is the title a great match, but the tone of the song is upbeat and festive. And that’s the takeaway we want for our customers when they hear about Veriations All.”

The 30-second TV spot will serve to announce Veriations All, while two additional 60-second spots will continue promoting the service through October. One of the two longer ads will feature longtime Verizon spokesman James Earl Jones.

“See, you’ve got this, this, and one of these guys,” Jones says in the spot, indicating a telephone, PC and wireless phone. “Wouldn’t it be nice if they could all come together, in one place? Introducing the ‘Veriations All’ package. It’s a first. It’s everything you need to communicate. Everything. And its from Verizon … All together for one low monthly price, on one bill.”

Verizon’s agency of record, Interpublic-owned DraftWorldwide New York, designed the campaign, which also will include two 60-second radio spots, a direct mail drop of about four million, and in-store promotions.

Work in the campaign will continue to use Verizon’s new corporate advertising tagline, “Make progress every day,” which first debuted in new spots in April.

Later in the year, Verizon plans to expand the campaign to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in connection with the further rollout of “Veriations All” in those markets.

The move comes on the heels of Friday’s launch of a new ad campaign by Virgin Mobile USA, a joint venture between Sprint and Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. The spots are running on Viacom’s MTV networks and seek to woo the 15- to 30-year-old segment with offbeat ads designed by Leagas-Delaney, San Francisco.