In the two weeks leading up to the 2002 Super Bowl, AT&T arranged for a series of unbranded TV ads, billboards and even some real-world stunts like a mock protest in an attempt to gin up interest its new wireless service, mLife. The mysterious multimillion-dollar hype machine, created with WPP's Ogilvy & Mather New York, continued during the Super Bowl when AT&T aired more unbranded teaser ads like “Farmer” that asked “What is mLife?” before finally answering the question with the 60-second “Belly Buttons” spot during the game’s third quarter.
BRAND: AT&T
YEAR: 2002
AGENCY: Ogilvy & Mather
SUPERBOWL: XXXVI
QUARTER AIRED: Q1