This is one of those questionable moves that brands make or, rather, CMOs make when they get bored and think the brand needs a little kick in the ass or, rather, the CMO needs to mark his territory, when, in reality, everything is just fine. Yes, Verizon is dropping “Can you hear me now?” in favor of “Rule the Air.”
It’s an odd move. After all, the phrase “can you hear me now?” is uttered millions of times each day. Verizon capitalized on that and the phrase came with built in brand recognition.
But, we know why they made the change. Someone involved said, “You know, of course you can hear me now. Our service is so great, there’s no reason to ask the question any longer. In fact, our service is so good, we rule the air.” See? It was a simple sell.
If you “rule the air,” then “can you hear me” becomes implied. Keeping “can you hear me” could, conceivably, leave doubt in a caller’s mind regarding the quality of Verizon’s service.
It’s a logical move but it’s not clear if the new slogan will be as effective as the old.
