August 21, 2008 12:53 PM PDT

Alltel debuts new ad with 'sales guys' babies

Font size
Print
E-mail
Share
1 comment

Young Chad has a bit of an attitude, it seems.

(Credit: Alltel Wireless)

We all love Chad, don't we? You know Chad: the good-looking, unassuming guy who's taller than his rivals, but not too tall as to intimidate shorter guys, with the square jaw and fauxhawk (are those still in play?), who's so nice and just sincerely wants everyone to be able to share their wireless plans? As long as the plan is from Alltel Wireless Network, that is.

Well, haven't you always wondered what it would be like if we saw those guys as kids? No? Me neither. That's not stopping Alltel from releasing a new spot debuting August 22, but already on YouTube, which shows Chad, as well as his antagonists, as kids.

In the spot, Chad is running his own lemonade stand and is letting his customers share their lemonade with their families. The Sprint (and whatever) kids, they don't like it. The end. The sequence is actually a lot shorter than I expected, but that's probably a good thing. I have to say, though, Campbell-Ewald Detroit, the company that developed the ad, did a great job with casting as the young actors they got to play the kid versions are very spot on. I still miss the chubby Sprint guy they replaced a few months back, though.

The Little Rascal--I mean the "Sales Guys" as kids.

(Credit: Alltel Wireless)

Alltel is using the spot to promote its new "My Circle" Family Choice Plus plans. According to Alltel, for $84.99 per month, customers will receive two lines with 1,000 shared minutes and the ability to call any 10 numbers on any network. Also, customers can receive two lines with 2,000 shared minutes and unlimited calling within their "Circle" of 20 numbers for $114.99.

In addition to the unlimited calling within their "Circle," Family Choice plan customers will receive unlimited mobile-to-mobile calls and unlimited nights and weekends. Customers will also have the ability to choose either free evening calls starting at 7 p.m. or 1,000 text/picture/video messages.

The plans include unlimited texting to their "Circle of Friends" and other Alltel customers. Also, customers can add lines to their My Circle plan for $9.99. Not bad, actually. Too bad I just bought an iPhone 3G (which incidentally works much better in Minneapolis than it does in San Francisco, just FYI).

Eric Franklin refused to write a bio, saying, "Why are you bothering me about this bio business again? If I wanted people to know more about me, I'd send them to the Inside CNET Labs Podcast" (shameless plug). E-mail Eric.