'Broadband rage' turns you into a monster in ad for BT

Latest ad for the telecom brand shows some gratuitous router-smashing

Published On
May 10, 2021

Editor's Pick

If your internet going down has ever made you feel like smashing something, this ad is for you.

The latest spot from U.K. telecom brand BT tries to capture what it feels like to have "broadband rage"—when your router fails, your screen's buffering, and no matter what you do you can't seem to fix it. With so many of us now working from home, it's a feeling many viewers will be able to empathize with. (BT is touting its new "unbreakable WiFi" offering, in which its broadband is backed by an EE Mobile connnection.)

The ad starts with a woman struggling to watch her favorite show and transforming into a rage-induced monster, "Hulk" style. She stomps on her router and then flings her screen across the room, smashing a fish tank.

In another vignette, a man sits with tears streaming down his face, surrounded by broken hardware and repeating, “Reconnect the router at the mains. Reconnect the router at the mains.” Another character destroys her router with a bat, before we see a couple who have BT Broadband backed up by EE Mobile calmly sit down to enjoy their favorite TV. 

The creative is by Saatchi & Saatchi, with direction by the Sacred Egg via Riff Raff films. It's set to a cover of the Basement Jaxx dance track "Where's your head at?" by Melkbelly. 

“Our latest innovation demonstrates a step-change in broadband, an unbreakable connection for the moments that matter," said Pete Jeavons, marketing communications director at BT and EE, in a statement. "In a time when connectivity is more important than ever, buffering, drop-outs and pixilation just isn’t good enough—in fact, it’s plain infuriating."

Credits

Date
May 10, 2021
Client :
BT
Agency :
Saatchi & Saatchi-London
CCO :
Guillermo Vega
Creative Director :
Will John
Copywriter :
Tobias Tercic
Copywriter :
Philip Gull
Copywriter :
Alex Kosterman
Art Director :
Hernan Dietrich
Art Director :
Helen Giles
Designer :
Steve Tinkler
Designer :
Nick Roberts
Designer :
Charlie Brookes
Designer :
Jay de Silva
Designer :
Marco Balducci
Creative Producer :
Jeremy Sharman
CSO :
Richard Huntington
Planner :
Ed Hayne
Planner :
Mathieu Abet
Planner :
Ciaran McManus
CEO :
Magnus Djaba
Managing Partner :
Jon Tapper
Business Lead :
Fergus Waddell
Business Lead :
Richard Sweetman
Account Team :
Liz Maunsell
Account Team :
Gabi Dwek
Executive Producer :
Sam Robinson
Production Assistant :
Magdalenna Kozak
Media Buying Agency :
Essence
Media Planner :
Tom Kislingbury
Media Planner :
Rachel Cawley
Media Planner :
Patrick Bell
Production Company :
Riff Raff Films
Director :
The Sacred Egg
Producer :
Jane Tredget
Editor :
Sam Bould
Editor :
Final Cut
Post-Production Company :
MPC
Audio Post-Production Company :
Jon Clarke
Audio Post-Production Company :
Factory

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