AT&T Loses Verizon Ad Lawsuit, Strikes Back with Own Commercial

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

AT&T suffered a legal defeat over its attempt to remove Verizon’s ad featuring maps that compare 3G coverage in the U.S. However at the same time, AT&T also launched a new ad that tries to send the message that AT&T’s 3G service is faster than Verizon’s 3G service.

A judge ruled on Wednesday that while the ads may be “sneaky,” but they are not misleading. Thus, the Verizon commercials will be allowed to stay on the air. The Atlanta federal judge also stated that most TV watchers are “semi-catatonic,” and misinterpreting information in a commercial commonly occurs. AT&T was given a chance to appeal their case on December 16th.

AT&T took Verizon to court over commercials that depict its 3G coverage as minimal when compared to Verizon’s network. AT&T claims that the Verizon ads are misleading, making some viewers believe that AT&T has little or no wireless coverage in most of the U.S. Verizon had responded very recently that their ads are telling the truth, and AT&T is afraid that the truth is out.

Since AT&T lost on the legal front, they are striking back with TV commercials of its own. The new AT&T’s ad compares the 3G networks of AT&T and Verizon. AT&T claims a better 3G experience, talk and surf at the same time, and access to popular smart phones along with over 100,000 apps to choose from. The ad also points viewers to the TruthAbout3G.com. TruthAbout3G.com basically redirects visitors to AT&T’s website that contains its official response to Verizon Ads.

It looks like AT&T lost a battle today, but the war will continue. As we approach the holiday season, will we see even more vicious and satirical ads on television from both sides? Let’s watch and see.

Here’s The AT&T commercial.

This is a post by The Apps Machine