• by Larissa Faw , July 25, 2017

Sprint is challenging competitor Verizon with a multi-faceted campaign from its agency Droga5 playing across TV, radio, digital, social media and OOH.

The creative calls out Verizon for what Sprint says is its slow service and slower network. As part of the multi-faceted attack campaign, Sprint launched a TV commercial on July 21 that featured a business owner boasting about his brilliant business idea - a store that charges you twice as much for everything. The store is located next to a Verizon store-- “You’re already here paying twice as much.” The spot has already garnered more than 500,843 views.

"We made this ad so it would feel like an authentic local TV ad," Droga5 said in a statement. "We wanted people to believe it was real, we wanted people to be shocked: “Did this guy just say he’s going to charge people twice as much?”

The ad led people to an actual store in Flushing, Queens that was located right next to a Verizon store. Sprint encouraged additional chatter through social media and press coverage.

Sprint and Droga5 then filmed guest reactions as part of another spot.

Another ad, dubbed “The Draggin Maggie” shows a woman walking up a hill dragging an Unlimited sign (as in Verizon’s “Unlimited” subscriber package) as a Sprint spokesperson touts its superior service. The spot ends with a slap at its competitor: "Don't get hooked by Verizon."

This campaign follows earlier spots that reintroduced Verizon spokesperson Paul Marcarelli, the former Verizon "Can you hear me now?" pitch man, as a Sprint brand ambassador.