How should an advertiser respond when a competitor launches a vicious attack against your brand?

In 2008, FiOS launched a campaign featuring a handsome, sharp-witted FiOS installer and a "bumbling" cable installer. In a series of spots FiOS was aggressively positioned as a superior product at a better value, while repositioning cable companies as inferior and unable to keep up.

This frontal attack could not go unchallenged, especially as it was filled with partial truths and unsupported assertions.

Our counter-attack had one objective: To debunk the myth that FiOS is superior to Optimum. Optimum has best in class products, is in-fact a better value than FiOS, and has millions more satisfied customers.

So we created a campaign featuring our version of a FiOS installer. Only this time he would be accompanied by his mom who would keep him honest. We even cast our FiOS guy to look like their FiOS guy.

The result: a likeable and extremely effective campaign that sets the record straight about FiOS. Including the fact that over 40% of Optimum customers who try FiOS switch back to Optimum.

Interestingly, their FiOS installer campaign has stopped running.

Services: Television