AT&T Lost Dog Commercial w/ Tyler Hansbrough
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Cheers to AT&T for providing its audience with socially responsible, feel good ads that warm the heart while avoiding sex, negative stereotypes and raunchy humor. I saw this ad for the first time tonight and was touched by not only its message but also its sense of community and friendliness. In a world where we have learned to shy away from certain situations whether it be from time constraints or lack of motivation, it is amazing to see an ad that depicts such a random act of kindness.
We are introduced to a little girl who is pinning up lost dog signs in hopes of one day finding Sarah, her adorable young pup. As the ad progresses, a student on campus sees the sign, snaps a pic with his AT&T phone and forwards the text, “Can you help find this dog?” to Tyler Hansbrough. Hansbrough, obviously on North Carolina’s campus sends the message to his MANY friends. Eventually the little girl and her companion are reunited.
As human beings, we are swayed with many appeals and that’s alright. However, as aspiring professional advertisers, we must keep responsible limitations on how far we take certain appeals. Yes, sex sells. Yes, raunchy humor sells. However, changing advertising in a way that can inspire should also be present in our everyday work. Looking at the positive feedback this ad received is just amazing. I know a lot has to do with Hansbrough’s cameo, but the ad itself is effective in grabbing the attention of the audience and pulling at its heartstrings. We’re not seeing rookie NBA Hansbrough as a sex symbol or sports icon. We are introduced to him as a person.
6 Comments
September 17th, 2009 at 9:48 am
WOW! Direct, Effective and Responsible. The ad shows the power of AT&T’s current phones and technology for helping find a little girl’s dog. The agency could have just as easily shown a similar seen with the college guys searching for a “hot girl” walking down the street and appeal to baser instincts. Instead, we the ad reinforces positive social values while highlighting the attributes of a product. Seems effective to me.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:08 pm
I agree strongly with both of your points. Being the sports fanatic that I am, along with a huge UNC fan, I continued to think about the fact that they used Tyler Hansbrough in this ad. Although he isn’t the most recognized sports figure out there, he is an extremely strong role model for children and teenagers just starting to develop in the NBA world.
He was a first-round draft pick, played for the ACC all-conference team all four undergraduate years, was the 2006 ACC freshman of the year and was the 2008 conference player of the year. Now playing for the Pacers, he hasn’t attained the big name like Lebron or Tebow have quite yet– he is just a good basketball player. Kudos to AT&T, as well, Sarah, for using him and not trying to solely impress their audience on their ability to contract big names. We know that famous athletes like to have contracts with these types of companies and that the companies like to show off their money by getting the biggest name they can.
The ad is a wholesome, quality story with a happy ending acted out by a sweet, innocent girl and a driven, motivated and achieved young man– something that is rare these days!
October 1st, 2009 at 10:25 am
What agency produced this ad?
November 30th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Like stated in all the previous comments this is a “feel good” ad and just makes you want to smile . This ad works to bring AT&T as a brand in a positive light because of the message. I also think that the commercial ads to the “brand image”, if you will, of Tyler Hansborough. He is a rookie in the NBA now who has little to no “image” in the professional world. This commercial was a great base for him because of the reputation of the company AT&T and the content of the message.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:39 am
Along with being direct and responsible, I think this ad is also timeless. I have seen it so many times, and I still get that “good feeling” and smile every time I see it. Of course, it’s not the same emotional response as the first time I saw it; however, socially responsible ads that work, really work, have the ability to be long lasting and still effective
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:15 pm
I absolutely love this ad too – very effective and memorable utilizing a simple emotional appeal. I like the message that AT&T stands for – connection with people, relationships, and genuine happiness. It is not about the fancy, sexy, trendy… Rather, it brings back basic human values. Values which are relevant to all of us. As I am not a big sports fan, I could not comment on the sports figure but I think that even for people not familiar with him, the ad is still effective. And I completely agree with Sarah – it is definitely timeless – I’ve seen it on TV multiple times and it’s not getting old, it moves you every time you watch it. Great job!