Verizon Launches New African-American Ad Campaign That Touts Customization

NEW YORK - To inform African-Americans about Verizon's latest bundled services, Verizon Double Freedom and Verizon Triple Freedom, the company has launched a new television and print ad campaign that focuses on personalization.

Extensive market research in key African-American consumer markets guided the development of the campaign. Findings showed that African-American consumers have a long history of customizing and personalizing their environments, from music and other artistic expressions to fashion to personal living spaces and more.

As a result, Verizon's new campaign, with the theme "Personalize Life," portrays ways in which African-Americans can customize products and services from Verizon to fit their lifestyle and their needs. 

"Verizon has had a long history of providing relevant messages specifically to our African-American customers," said Jeff McFarland director of multicultural marketing for Verizon. "This new campaign lets our customers know that they can choose the services they need to help them enrich their lives and be on the best network, known for its 99.99 percent reliability."

The new television commercial features an African-American woman who just moved into her new apartment. She is on the phone chatting animatedly with her mother; then she is talking to her friend and online at the same time, ordering a new sofa and later downloading music for her housewarming party.  Afterward, she settles down to watch 100 percent digital TV via DIRECTV.  The woman then gives a thumbs-up sign, which becomes a red fingerprint with the words "personalized life" appearing over it. The final shot directs viewers to visit http://personalizemylife.com/ or to call a toll-free number for more information.  

"As technology increasingly plays an important role in the lives of African-American consumers, Verizon's new campaign champions the spirit of individualism, and promises to deliver flexible communication, entertainment and technology products that fit an array of unique personal and professional lifestyles - all on one statement," McFarland said.

Verizon's latest bundled packages, offered in nearly all Verizon's markets, consist of five new plans that let customers mix and match home services such as unlimited calling; high-speed Internet at download speeds of up to 3 Mbps (megabits per second); and DIRECTV, which includes more than 155 all-digital TV channels and 50 music channels from XM Satellite Radio.

The ad campaign, which began this week, runs through April and can be seen in six markets: New York; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Philadelphia; and Richmond and Norfolk, Va.  For more information about Verizon's new bundles, visit http://personalizemylife.com/ or www.verizon.com.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 59 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which operates one of the most expansive wholly owned global IP networks, and Verizon Telecom, which is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of approximately 242,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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