Verizon recently launched a new ad campaign based upon the character of the "Test Guy." What we saw were images of a slightly geeky looking guy wearing glasses go all over the place testing to see if he could hear the other person. His tag line was "Can you hear me now." Of course, this was a very well known statement to cell phone users. In fact, every time I would lose reception on my own personal cell phone and I would say "Can you hear me now?" I would think of Verizon and this ad. I thought it was clever how they could plant that little idea in my head. They used something that people say all the time when using cell phones. They used what people were already saying and applied it to their own company and helped create a brand image.
             What I really like about this ad campaign was the fact that it ties into what direction Verizon is going in with the rest of its business plan. Firstly, Verizon says that they are not a discount provider. They maintain a current average contract rate of forty-nine dollars while other companies are still having price wars to get customers on board. Verizon told reporters in a press release that it does not matter what you pay for a call if you cannot make the call at all. The fact that the "Test Guy" is roaming around and you see him testing the network in all these far away places and in elevators speaks to the audience that Verizon is testing everywhere.
             This would not be far from the truth as it turns out the guy who plays the "Test Guy" is actually a Verizon line tester. He is actually employed with Verizon for the job of checking on the continuity of the network. The glasses he wears are also real and belong to him. His name is Paul Marcarelli and he usually is seen driving around the country in this car that has been set up to test the network while the technician drives. They also test in doors and other places to make sure ...