One of the best-known characters in modern advertising is returning to work.
For approximately a decade, actor Paul Marcarelli portrayed “The Test Man” for Verizon, often wearing a gray coat and glasses with horn rims. In numerous advertisements, he would assess the performance of Verizon’s technology by inquiring, “Can you hear me now?”, a question that many viewers who watched TV frequently during that period might have heard.
In a fresh 60-second advertisement, “Test Man” reappears, this time collaborating with none other than renowned astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The esteemed cosmonaut is seen traversing the globe to test the efficiency of satellites that enhance Verizon’s network. From various locations worldwide, Aldrin inquires, “Can you text me now?” To which “Test Man” responds from space, “That’s my job.
For a long time, “Test Man” was a triumph for Verizon in marketing, but his success ended when Marcarelli switched to Sprint in 2016, following Verizon’s shift towards new promotional tactics. Advertisers often invest heavily in creating characters for commercials, but Marcarelli wasn’t an animated character like the Green Giant or Pillsbury Doughboy. It’s possible that the concept of paying him to avoid working for competitors might not have been considered initially by Verizon’s executives. In Sprint’s advertisement, Marcarelli said, “Hi, I’m Paul and I used to ask if you could hear me now at Verizon. That’s no longer the case.
In June, the company honored the character by airing an advertisement where a new actor portrayed an engineer saying the iconic line. This was followed by numerous consumers using Verizon for phrases like “play me now”, “stay with me now”, and “meet me now”. The ad received positive feedback, as stated by the company representative, who mentioned that there were no lingering emotions over Marcarelli’s switch to a rival firm.
The latest advertisement intends to demonstrate that Verizon can overcome “signal blackouts” by employing satellite connectivity in regions where conventional fiber connections are unavailable. If well-received, the ad could also function as a case study on reintroducing a beloved figure from Madison Avenue who has been absent for many years.
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2025-01-31 18:46