This country’s cell phone user population ain’t big enough for the two of us.
That’s at least how I imagine the conversation is between T-Mobile and AT&T. There’s always been a bit of a rivalry between the major phone carriers in the United States – AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. But now, the advertising campaigns of at least two of those carriers (Verizon has yet to enter into this) is summoning the vibes of Yellowstone and Landman to try and lure in customers.
One could make an argument that two of the biggest television shows in the past decade are Taylor Sheridan productions. Yellowstone was a smash hit, and got people yearning for more western dramas. Landman kind of surfed off that wave that Yellowstone created, and now the Texas oil drama is one of the most popular shows on TV. T-Mobile and AT&T are leaning into that.
T-Mobile can definitely say that they started it. They tapped Landman star Billy Bob Thornton to walk along a gravel road and talk about how T-Mobile “opened a can of whoop-up” on the rest of the big carriers, and now boasts the best mobile network in the U.S..
T-Mobile’s Billy Bob Thornton Ad
Billy Bob Thornton saying “Insta-talk” is, admittedly, funny.
But as you can see, T-Mobile was certainly trying to capture that Landman and Yellowstone feel with that western themed advertisement. Hell, they took a man (Billy Bob Thornton) and made him walk aimlessly on some land. That’s about as on the nose as it gets.
T-Mobile dropped that commercial, which actually called out Verizon, around three months ago. AT&T apparently took offense to what the rival phone carrier had to say (even though they didn’t even get name-dropped) and decided to craft their own Yellowstone-inspired commercial.
They went out and got the lesser of the Wilson brothers (Owen Wilson reigns supreme) in Luke Wilson to talk about how AT&T has been carrying America’s calls since 1876. And this one was way more western themed than T-Mobile’s entrant into the ad space.
This AT&T commercial has people riding horseback, a country house set up on a hill, dirt roads, a dog with a bandana, rolling mountains, and even a tumbleweed with an old-timey newspaper with the headline “T-Mobile Most Challenged for Deceptive Ads.”
AT&T’s Luke Wilson “Ain’t Our First Rodeo” Ad In Response
Forgot to mention that the title of that one is “Ain’t Our First Rodeo,” which is about as country as it gets.
There’s even another ad from AT&T titled “Check the Scoreboard,” where the phone carrier calls out T-Mobile and Luke Wilson says he “keeps his boots clean” by rolling with AT&T. I wasn’t going to link that one too, but might as well so I can drive the point home.
AT&T “Check the Scoreboard” Ad
So are we all in agreement that T-Mobile and AT&T are in a full-blown Yellowstone/Landman off right now? Seems like everyone is trying to dip into the honey pot that is western and country theming right now. Musicians are doing it. TV shows and movies are doing it. And now the big phone carriers are doing it too.
How would I like to see this all end, you asked? (Thanks for asking). Well, in my mind, Verizon has to go out and get Kevin Costner. The return of John Dutton for a phone carrier ad would end this whole kerfuffle once and for all. And the good news for Verizon… the 70-year-old actor has some free time on his hands.
