I'd like to take a look at the local run of T-mobile commercials. Normally I'm only moved to comment on the truly idiotic fare provided us. But the latest run of t-mobile commercials are incredibly spot on if you know what you're looking for. The basic idea is to knock off the famous Apple commercials featuring two spokesmen "I'm a Mac" and "I'm a PC" featuring all the troubles of Windows, and the simpler, easier solutions from Apple. The targeted Mac audience at the time was younger, hipper crowds with an artistic flair, and those commercials reflected it. The PC was represented by an older, more corporate looking gentleman who (no offense) looked a little bloated. They were wildly effective, and I can understand why others have mimicked them.
This new crop of commercials features a pretty brunette woman representing t-mobile, usually in some eye catching pink outfit keyed to the T-mobile corporate pink. On the left side of the screen, a dull-witted young man with the ATT network represented by a scheming, balding older man. On the surface it kinda looks the same. But that's where it ends. In the first commercial, the speeds of the two networks were represented by motorcycles: T-mobile being a rice rocket that never moves onscreen, whereas ATT is represented by a pocket bike that actually delivers our hapless customer to the commercial. Careful observers will notice that at no time does the t-Mobile bike move or even gets touched, and the pink-clad rep doesn't even have a helmet. "4G" users in the LA area have noted that coverage is a little spotty if you end up behind a barrier, like a few sheets of writing paper. Like the cycle you can't ride, you get coverage you can barely use.
Similarly, if you read this article in Wikipedia, you'll see that the highly touted "4G" T-mobile LTE network isn't really 4G at all, it's an interim step between the two formats. LTE is actually a high-speed version of 3G, and to be fair, it is almost twice as fast (at best rates). Most of t-mobile's competitors have not succumbed to this dishonest labeling, even those who also have LTE or other interim networks. This effect is illustrated by the T-mobile girl, looking shockingly thin, almost anemic, wearing a pink sundress designed to give her the illusion of greater substance while the ATT rep is in a good fitting suit. Since Apple has been partnered with ATT for so long, and the commercials are carefully constructed not to take shots at the iPhone hardware that must run on ATT, one must wonder, did Apple let t-mobil get the number of their ad agency with the purpose of undermining their efforts using T-mobiles own commercials? :) I feel like T-mobile has gotten what it deserves with these obvious rip-offs.
