AT&T 150th Anniversary
summer 2025
in association with west bbdo internship.
in 2026, at&T celebrates 150 years of powering connection, culture, and innovation. Zillenials (Gen Z + young millennials) see at&t as both a technological pioneer and a cultural connector across music, pop culture, and personal growth.
the brief
Challenge: How can at&t meaningfully connect with Zillennials by celebrating its 150th-year legacy making its role in music, pop, culture, and personal improvement relevant, unforgettable, and participatory for today’s digital generation?
Target audience: zillennials (18-30): hyper-connected, nostalgic, value authenticity and experiences, carve both digital and real-life connections, and seek self-betterment amid the noise.
our campaign
“AT&T’s 150th: The original connection”
strategy: at&t’s 150th isn’t just about looking back. it’s about turning a legacy of innovation into a movement that helps zillennials reconnect with what matters most: real music, real culture, and real self-improvement. Powered by technology but defined by human connection.
the goal
Make AT&T’s 150th feel like a cultural event—not just a campaign.
Proof of concepts
Passion point: music
Idea 1: The connection tour
Reunite famous artists back together for a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect with fans. at&T announces the return of an iconic band or duo via hidden teasers.
vintage phone booths pop-ups in at&t blue scatter across cities, where fans can call to listen to clue about the artists and location.
The tour itself will be free and un-ticketed. first come, first serve. the concert’s locations will be reveled a few hours before showtime.
live hd streaming will be available nationwide.
Idea 2: The sound of 150 years
we want to show how at&T has connected you to the music from your past and present.
A tv spot and pop-up series will be centered around listening to music on vinyl, only made possible through at&t innovation.
music through generations ;15
Open to a black & white scene featuring a young girl in the 50s carefully placing a vinyl on a record player. Music crackles to life. She beams and dances with joy.
VO: Years ago, AT&T’s Bell Labs pioneered a breakthrough that became the foundation of modern music.
Time lapse of young girl switching out different vinyl as the black and white filter shifts to color over time.
VO: Electrical sound recording made it possible for newly recorded
songs to be pressed onto vinyl for people to enjoy…
Shot fade reveals to a new scene with a different setting, but one thing is familiar— the record player. A new young girl is featured, the granddaughter.
Girl: You listen to them, Grandma?!
Grandma: Oh, these guys are my favorite (She says smiling).
Scene switches to them dancing to the same song the young girl was listening to back then.
VO: …for generations to come.
SUPER: The Sound of 150 Years
SUPER: AT&T: The Original Connection
LOGO: CCE Logo
limited edition at&T blue repressed vinyl featuring classic tracks originally recorded with poor fidelity, now restored and brought to life with crystal-clear sound.
Passion point: pop culture
Idea 1: at&t memory lane
an immersive festival that becomes a walkable timeline celebrating 150 years of at&T. The festival is segmented by decade, dating back 150 years ago to the present.
we will create a block party hosted at AT&T discovery district in Dallas, Texas. The perfect place to host and celebrate 150 years.
to spread word of the memory lane block party, a series of vintage OOH PRINT ads will be released in theme of previous advertisements from the past 150 years.
Idea 2: something old, something new, something borrowed, something at&T blue
we are ditching one-off trends to have a single participatory moment in culture.
for one week, everyone comes together online and irl to remix, reinterpret, and re-wear one iconic color: at&T blue, and celebrate 150 years of connection.
On socials at&t announces the #AT&T150Blue. For one week, Zillennials everywhere will share, wear, or create something blue, old, new, borrowed, or DIY.
Participants post their take on “blue” (thrifted jacket, repurposed tech, vintage mixtape, Y2K eyeshadow, etc.) with the hashtag #AT&T150Blue and a story about its origin.
AT&T will partner with fashion creators, nostalgia influencers, and musicians to kickstart the trend with their own blue looks, stories, and remixes.
And to incentivize this…..
at&T 150 blue lounges
These pop-up lounges will be placed in city centers where people will be able to meet their favorite creators, influencers, and see artists perform.
Gain entrance by showing how they participated in the #AT&T150Blue.
Passion point: personal improvement
Idea 1: we all start somewhere
a campaign to remind zillennials that even the original connector, started somewhere.
the campaign serves as encouragement for zillennials by showing that even at&T started somewhere 150 years ago and connect millions now.
get started ;15
Our scene starts off with young people struggling to run a mile while their friends breeze through marathons.
A familiar voice starts speaking*
VO: Everything can be a challenge when you first start something.
Mirroring archival scenes of Alexander Graham Bell, frustrated and exhausted, as they tinker with the first “Bell’s Box Telephone.”
VO: The truth is, even innovators like AT&T, started somewhere.
Overlaying scenes of the young person gradually developing proper running form and speeding through the track
VO: Because progress isn’t about the rewards…
Scenes of Alexander Graham Bell successfully using the first telephone follows.
VO: … its about how you move past the struggle…
Scenes of our young person finishing a marathon as the camera closes in to their face.
VO: …in your search for leaving a legacy.
Closeup of Alexander Graham Bell’s face
SUPER: We All Start Somewhere
LOGO: CCE Logo
TEch demos
With the help of the AT&T Archives and History Center, AT&T will post on their social media a short-form video series where an archivist will introduce AT&T powered inventions from the past. They will also explain their history and a demonstration of how they work.
Idea 2: slow scroll Saturdays
for our 150th anniversary, what if the strongest, most reliable connection was taken away?
we as the biggest telecom company in the world will slow down their internet, on purpose, to better zillennials’ personal improvement.
AT&T 150th slow spots
We will partner with local venues (parks, coffee shops, galleries) to host AT&T 150th Slow Spots encouraging screen-free connection through live music, open mics, analog games, mindfulness activities, and creativity corners.
Phone nap lockers and charging stations allow guests to put their devices aside and to be fully present.
the deck
team
Nathan Martinez - account management intern
Rebecca paredes - account management intern
siena frolic - strategy intern
James sunga - copy intern