MCI Worldcom, Inc.: Parents campaign

Susan Risland

Irreverent television commercials that offered savings on long-distance telephone calls helped MCI Communications Corporation cultivate a brand identity and become established in an industry that had previously been a monopoly.

MCI Worldcom, Inc.: Parents campaign

Susan Risland

Overview

Irreverent television commercials that offered savings on long-distance telephone calls helped MCI Communications Corporation cultivate a brand identity and become established in an industry that had previously been a monopoly. The "Parents" campaign, developed by the Ally & Gargano ad agency in 1980, spoofed a heartwarming commercial for MCI's rival,American Telephone & Telegraph Corp. (AT&T). The AT&T spot showed a mother weeping with joy because her grown son had called to tell her he loved her. The MCI commercial showed a mother crying because she had talked so long to her...

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