In the WFH era, bad broadband could genuinely be a career killer. That's the message of a new spot from BT, the U.K. telecom behemoth, that tells us the sorry tale of "pixelated Paula."

The spot, by Saatchi & Saatchi, explains how Paula, previously a high flyer "destined for corporate glory", has been left behind since the lockdown, due to being "signal shamed one call at a time." It ends with the message that because she didn't choose BT Wi-Fi, now the intern's after her job.

Set to Spandau Ballet's "True," the ad is directed by Tim Godsall via Anonymous Content and is running on primetime TV, supported by print, social and digital media.

The spot is the first of two by BT heavily pushing the message that these days, reliable broadband is an essential service, and asking consumers why they bother to buy all the latest tech if their broadband connection lets them down. 

“Great broadband has always been important to happiness at home but recent events have highlighted this more than ever before," points out Pete Jeavons, director of marketing communication at BT. "It became absolutely critical – for work, education, connecting with family and friends, even shopping for groceries. When it doesn’t work properly, it constricts our world and we really feel it. This campaign is designed to bring that to life through universal concerns such as strength of connection, online safety and tech support. We’re sure this will resonate with people up and down the UK and instill in them that they shouldn’t be settling for substandard connections.”