Comments on: The Deathstar Rises

By: bob corrigan

bob corrigan — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 21:58:44 +0000

It is far from the worst – remember when the consulting arm of pwc changed its name to Monday?

That was a real treat. This one is odd for the reason that they’re using a) an oddly 3d icon and b) a wordmark font that looks half-baked.

By: Guzzard

Guzzard — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 19:40:50 +0000

I remember going into the AT&T Wireless store in Redmond with my AT&T phone. I showed them 2 bars out of 5 on my Phone in THEIR STORE! They were clueless, now they are gone. (Cingular) I had a run in with SBC now I live in Dallas, they are also clueless, how much that company sucks is un-measurable, I now have Vonage (again). if SBC think they can fool me with the AT&T at&t name they are sadly mistaken. SBC sucked before, AT&T sucked before, at&t will be even suckier now. QWest anyone, oh sorry they SUCK too!

By: Dick Costolo

Dick Costolo — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 02:14:20 +0000

Matthew, I’m glad to see that the “reverse retainer” has grown more popular outside of Nigeria. I will gladly double the sum to $100k if you promise, via anonymous email, that my $1B will be payable in Krugerrand on some future date that we can sort out later.

By: Mathew

Mathew — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:36:08 +0000

Mr. Costolo,
I want to pay you $1B to lead a major re-branding campaign. My firm is very large and important and wishes to remain anonymous.
As you know $1B is a very large sum, and you will need to set up a special account in the Cayman Islands before I can remit payment. The Cayman account carries a minimum balance of $50K.
All I need is for you to temporarily transfer funds of $50K to open this account and the sum of $1B will be remitted to you personally within 24hrs.
We are expecting word from you soon.

By: Anonymous of Course

Anonymous of Course — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:21:37 +0000

Intel Should use “The Great Leap Forward”
Instead of “Leap Forward.” When their
CEO’s attitude towards American workers
is considered it would be more fitting.

By: Dick Costolo

Dick Costolo — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 08:21:41 +0000

Clearly you don’t know anything about branding. The name ATT is associated with large and incompetent telecom organizations but it’s SO associated with telecom, that they can’t NOT use it! therefore, they have to somehow keep the name but disassociate everything about the name from the name itself, leaving only the name. This is what the naming consultants call “cleansing the brand”. Cleansing costs 948 million dollars and the deliverables are a white paper, some fabric swatches, and a super bowl commercial. Then, of course, as Dave T. has astutely pointed out, they have gone lowercase! This is a sign that they intend to be “personal” and “humble” but “hip” and “forward thinking” in a “global” and “visionary” way without being “corporate”. All of those words in quotes will cost another 52 million dollars total if you want them to be properly conveyed to Americans in different demographics. For example, ‘hip’ means one thing to a 22 year old in memphis, and something else entirely to a retired circus clown in Weehawken. These demographic studies don’t write themselves you know.

By: Peter Elkin

Peter Elkin — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 04:47:31 +0000

How about “Trying harder every day to suck less”? That would at least be honest. Assuming, of course, that they are.

By: Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 04:47:21 +0000

That’s $1 billion because they’re going from uppercase to lowercase letters, Brad. Imaging if they actually (gasp) changed their name!

Crazy, crazy…

By: Dave Jilk

Dave Jilk — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 00:23:18 +0000

AT&T can’t use “we suck less” because they don’t.