Eight-year old Ella Anderson, the heroine of our latest TV commercial and online video campaign featuring legendary NFL quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw and Joe Theismann may be short and sport a pony tail, but her impact extends beyond Verizon.
When our team created the campaign, consisting of a 60-second and 30-second TV commercial, plus several online videos including Football 411, Bubbles, Take My Job, Straw Defense and Game Over, we wanted to showcase that broadband service like FiOS Internet is the great equalizer, and can open worlds to people.
By this, I mean that we deliver technology that gives people the best way to stream videos, conduct video chats and use multiple Internet devices simultaneously among other bandwidth-intensive applications.
Ella, aka #FiosFootballGirl, serves as a metaphor for young girls and women who successfully overcome obstacles and rid themselves of the underdog status like the movies characters in Rudy, Rocky and Hoosiers. At the end of the 60-second commercial, airing in 12 markets, Ella receives praise from her older brother and his friends, the ultimate nod for a younger sibling.
Our fun-spirited campaign caught the attention of veteran female reporter, Robin Herman, who was the first female sports reporter at the New York Times. In her ESPN-W story, “Make Football Girl A Reality,” Herman quotes me as I explain the business intent of our campaign that taps into the love affair the public has with the NFL.
Research shows that more than 70 percent of Americans say they are either a casual or avid football fan, and 50 percent of NFL fans are simultaneously engaging with the League on another Internet connected device while watching a game on TV. What makes our campaign all the more inviting, evidence by the growing fan following of #FiosFootballGirl on our Verizon FiOS Facebook page and on Twitter, @Verizon, is that young Ella, @ellaanderson4U, has touched a nerve.
“Girl Power” Meets “FiOS Power”
Ella helps us communicate our product message that technology makes people stronger, and stronger people can change the world, change the game and change perceptions. But she does so much more. #FiosFootballGirl represents the powerful combination of “girl power” meets “FiOS power.”
No matter who you are, how old you are, how big you are, or what anyone says, with the power of FiOS, you have the tools to achieve greatness. I hope you take the time to watch the commercial, and if you like what #FiosFootballGirl represents, let us know on Facebook and Twitter using that hashtag.
Building upon our campaign, we will – toward the end of October – launch a related campaign called “Play Like a Girl” and we’d like you to participate. In the campaign, proud parents will be invited to submit personal videos and photos of their daughters experiencing a triumphant moment in sports. We’ll share all the details soon about the contest. For now, here’s to all the #FiosFootballGirls out there who make us proud.
