After a judge blocked their earlier attempt to respond with a lawsuit, Dallas-based AT&T recently struck back at Verizon’s clever “there’s a map for that” ads — which are themselves a play on the excellent iPhone spots — with a celebrity endorsement from actor Luke Wilson, a Dallas native.
AT&T’s new commercials are clearly misleading. Verizon was pointing to its superiority in 3G (data) coverage and Wilson answers by talking about AT&T’s voice network. But isn’t Slate’s ad report card getting unnecessarily rough when it raises the issue of Wilson’s weight?
There was a time when Luke Wilson was every bit the indie darling that Page and Deschanel are now. Remember the Bottle Rocket era, when Luke and brother Owen seemed to hail from a far-off universe of lanky, windblown mojo? Lately, Wilson’s taken to co-starring in Jessica Simpson vehicles. I might have shed a tear once, long ago, over Wilson’s descent into quotidian commerce. But now this celebrity sellout moment just leaves me puzzled—not saddened. Wilson is clearly, to use my editor’s phrase, on the “downward trajectory.” … It makes me want to grab Luke Wilson by his tweed lapels and shout, “You’re making a straw man argument, you jowly sellout!”
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Not to throw stones, but my Lovely Bride was so mesmerized by how ‘bloated’ Luke looks that she never even gets his pitch. I bet if you questioned her, she wouldn’t know the spot was for AT&T. I find that sad for both Luke (who I like as an actor) and AT&T (or their agency who came up with the whole concept.)
At least he mentions Dallas!
Less partying + leave L.A. (exercise) = less jowly.
I don’t have a formula for his work issues. Um, go off-broadway?
I thought the same thing. His clothes are slovenly, his hair is greasy, and he looks depressed.
I for one am glad Mr. Wilson has put on some weight. Weight gain means pot, and not Peruvian marching powder.
Every Mobile phone campaign/ad uses some kind of flawed logic or misleading argument. I don’t blame him for taking a nice payday.
what a horrible ad. Cheap haircut, greasy hair, potbelly. What was somebody thinking?
Wow! What a shame that everyone is so concerned with Luke’s hair, career, weight and appearance. Wondering if AT&T did this intentionally. I think he looks hot and like many others struggling with their jobs and weight. YOu got to do. . .what you got to do.
Misleading indeed. They don’t even mention that AT&T can and does shut off data customers who use their phones too often in areas where it doesn’t own the cell towers: http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=185235&
Luke Wilson would burn a thousand calories trying to explain that little glitch.
Very insightful, Mr. De La Fuente. We wish that for all of the Brothers Wilson. Viva la munchies.
The AT&T ads aren’t misleading at all. Did Verizon pay you off? Verizon is arguing they have better 3g coverage; At&T is saying their normal coverage is just as encompassing and their 3g is actually faster. I’d think you’d pull for the home town team instead of making up things against them.
No opinion on Wilson’s appearance–and I’m no fan of AT&T–but why are AT&T’s ads “clearly misleading”? Because they don’t admit that Verizon is correct? Seems like that would a bad decision for their shareholders.
Each company is trying to compare one “superior” aspect of their service against their competitor. I’d be shocked to see Verizon advertize that they have crappy phones or that EV-DO 3G is slower than AT&T’s HSDPA 3G and doesn’t allow for simultaneous data and voice transmissions.
I’d advise you never to watch Mad Men or else you’ll be upset to learn that advertising isn’t premised on promoting the whole truth.
@ Mark and ninophile
Watch the ad with Wilson to which I linked. He says he’s going to “set the record straight” regarding the maps that Verizon has been talking about. But the map he immediately refers to is a map of regular old cell phone coverage, not 3G coverage. His map is irrelevant to the discussion. Verizon was at least comparing apples to apples in its ad. AT&T is selling an orange as if it’s an apple. It’s misleading.
Are lots of commercials misleading? Sure. I never said I was upset about it.
So I’m not the only one trying to figure out how the ads relate. Also was wondering how Luke Wilson, who barely has a career anymore, was tapped as the spokesperson. I guess if he keeps growing his hair out he can replace the creepy UPS guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95EeUAvAba4
That map may be irrelevant to the point that Verizon was making, but not necessarily irrelevant generally. Guess I don’t understand why Verizon gets to frame the debate and AT&T just has to admit defeat.
It’s a bad ad, in my opinion. Verizon’s is clever but is misleading on a different set of criteria.
Has anybody heard Owen Wilson’s radio ad for STP?
To answer Jason’s question “But isn’t Slate’s ad report card getting unnecessarily rough when it raises the issue of Wilson’s weight?”….The answer is no.
Virtually everyone who has seen the ads immediately comments on Wilson’s appearance (just like in these FrontBurner comments), so Slate would have been derelict in its duty not to mention it in a critique of the ad. It’s so obvious it can’t be ignored.
But see, Jason? By automatically taking the position that Slate was being “unnecessarily rough,” you’re already showing the potential pitfalls of having reporters slant their copy to appeal to their ad sales superiors, à la the DMN’s new scheme!
@Jackson: Huh? Sorry, I don’t follow.
I raised the point about his weight because it hadn’t even occurred to me that he looked bloated in the ads. It’s clear now that I am in the minority.
And I also wasn’t being entirely serious when I said Slate was “unnecessarily rough.” A little hyperbole makes for a better conversation starter.
A celebrity pitchman’s appearance is fair game, clearly. To my eye, dude has a belly. Also, I applaud him for being an overweight celebrity pitchman. Wilson has something that AT&T wanted to capitalize on: hipness, cred, good looks, whatever. So if he can pull that off while being 30 pounds above his fighting weight, then that gives the rest of us guys hope.
Jason, I’m looking at you.
30 pounds? Maybe his shirt is just puffy. Lots of people get that thick neck look as they age. Look at Mark Cuban.
I think “jowly” is a step too far. Same for “overweight”, Tim. Perhaps he had a big lunch before filming?
Jason, I was just making a joke that in your recent defense of news editors reporting directly to ad sales bosses, you’re already starting to see things from the perspective of the advertiser instead of the reporter. It was a stab at levity. (OK, I’ll work on my material!)
I was surprised to see so many people commenting on his appearance, he has put on some weight, but still seems to be in ok shape. Maybe it just seems like he’s put on a lot since he doesn’t have that movie star jawline anymore, but other than that, he looks about the same.
Looks chubbs to me.
I don’t care about his weight. I just don’t get the greasy hair? Why would I want to listen to a person who doesn’t bother to wash his hair. At least the UPS whiteboard guy’s hair looks clean and shiny.
I really like Luke Wilson as an actor but his ads are distracting – I don’t pay any attention to what he is talking about because I’m just wondering what the hell happened. Part of it because is body doesn’t really look too fat but his face looks like he’s been on a 5 year bender of nothing but booze and Taco Bell. It’s fascinating and depressing all at the same time. The fact that he also looks like he slept in the clothes he’s wearing doesn’t help either.
The Verizon ad was pretty clever because it is true. We laughed when we saw it because my hub wanted to get an Iphone but the area of the US where he is working in right now has basically no AT&T coverage so he had to go with Verizon instead. AT&T’s geographic area of coverage in some parts of the US (especially outside of bigger cities) is very spotty and much smaller than Verizon. His phone is pretty mediocre but at least he can use it when he’s there to make calls and check internet at least with it.
Too much booze and in-n-out
Oh come on! Cut him some slack! I thought you only attacked WOMEN for weight gain. He’s still a gifted actor. And I love him and his brother, Owen.
Give it a rest. He’s a super cool dude, just like his lil bro Owen. His commercials are fun and pick me up. Never noticed his dirty hair, “fatness” or “slept in clothes” look. Maybe we can all look beyond appearances to his being a great entertainer and leave it at that. Besides, he’s lost the weight now.