Comments on: Verizon Wireless Network Prank

By: Bookmarks about Prank

Bookmarks about Prank — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:45:27 +0000

[...] - bookmarked by 5 members originally found by leduytien on 2008-08-05 Verizon Wireless Network Prank http://urbanprankster.com/2008/07/verizon-wireless-network-prank/ - bookmarked by 1 members [...]

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:36:05 +0000

@Alex, if I saw a group of people from the Verizon commercials, I’d go “Omg it’s the people from the Verizon commercial” not the “network”, I seriously doubt anyone would know what the hell the “network” was, especially considering he didn’t say the “Verizon network” he said just the “network”

Viral marketing at its best though

By: jb

jb — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:02:20 +0000

I would have loved it if the callers call dropped, he would then turn to the network and the Hear me now guy just shrugs his shoulders.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:11:49 +0000

Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not “magic”. He’s walking around talking into the microphone on his phone. How could you possibly get any clearer audio than that?

Of course he said “it’s the network”, wouldn’t you? If you saw a giant Slinky(TM) rolling down a set of stairs, wouldn’t you say “It goes down stairs.”?

Verizon could have EASILY set this up by getting the mob in the park and waiting for one of their customers to get on the phone.

They send the mob out, detect a call, point the mob at it, record the audio, then get the guy to sign a release.

Maybe the caller was part of it, maybe not. The point is that it was clever marketing, which is seemingly more and more rare.

By: Charlie Todd

Charlie Todd — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:49:20 +0000

One thought I just had– it is possible that the guy wasn’t in on it but was setup by the friend who called him. His friend could have known he had Verizon, could have asked him to meet him a specific place at a specific time, and then could have showed up late and called his buddy to get him on his phone.

Although I still think the clarity of the guy’s voice is a little suspicious.

By: Teri Stoddard

Teri Stoddard — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:02:26 +0000

Thank you! I laughed so hard I cried.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:06:31 +0000

Oh, I’m sure the guy is a plant. First of all, he says “It’s the network” (Verizon’s slogan, right?) at least 3 times. But it’s funnier for the audience if he acts like he doesn’t know.

I’ve got to think that knowing that guy had Verizon, was standing there, and was going to make a call right then is too much coincidence. Plus it’s probably an illegal use of their phone records (if there is such a thing anymore, but I digress).

I think this is funny and works, just because they actually got the “Can you hear me now?” guy involved. If you’re going to do it, go all the way. And they did.

Except for the helicopter.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:38:40 +0000

I quite enjoyed this… I don’t think the guy was a plant. Verizon could have easily used long range directional microphones to pick up his voice. And his uncontrollable laughter when he realized what was going on sounded too real to be acting.

By: Charlie Todd

Charlie Todd — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:51:50 +0000

@Alvin

I noticed that too. They did somehow magically have very clear audio on the mark. I’m also curious how in the hell the would have known he had Verizon.

By: Bob Stein

Bob Stein — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:14:58 +0000

Alvin makes a shrewd point. Also there had to be at least three cameramen, repeatedly waving at people not to look at the cameras.

Even so, I thought it was hilarious, creatively done, and gutsy. The main character delivers flawlessly.

Just a thought. Until Improv Everywhere is more than a thousandth as famous as Verizon, a “misleading tag” could be considered a heck of a compliment, and a boon, and even worth a chuckle. It might require senses of irony, attention-whorishness, and humility. Please tell me you haven’t lost those yet.