With the ongoing ambiguity in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the touch of nostalgia and familiarity in AT&T’s new spots are much appreciated.
The telecoms giant released two new ads this week that feature its charming spokesperson from days past, Lily, who was in more than 40 commercials for the company from 2013 to 2017.
This time, however, instead of being in AT&T stores like she had been in previous spots, Lily is adhering to self-quarantine guidelines and helping customers from home. But she’s still bringing her usual charm and lightheartedness to her role, even from a socially acceptable distance.
The idea to bring Lily back actually came from actress and activist Milana Vayntrub, who plays the famed character. When Vayntrub, now also a sketch writer and commercial director herself, brought the concept to AT&T, the company worked quickly with BBDO LA and Critical Mass to get the logistics worked out for the ads.
Vayntrub teamed up with her boyfriend, an architect, to shoot and produce the spots from home. The production team duo leveraged the likes of video conferencing and other remote tech platforms for playbacks, editing and more, with help from AT&T and its agency partners, to bring Lily back to the screen.