AT&T B2B: "The Power of &"

Launched with full-page advertisements in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, among others, AT&T has kicked off its largest B2B campaign in recent history by capitalizing on the power of the ampersand.

The “Power of &” campaign refers to a corporate brand name that includes probably the best-known ampersand in the world to highlight to business customers that it’s local and global; open and secure; flexible and reliable.

It’s 25% of our name, but it’s 100% of what we do. The “&” in AT&T literally means “and,” but it speaks to everything we stand for. It’s all about the power of connectivity to push things forward and make things better for you, our customers. That’s why you’ll see a new ad campaign from us during the Masters. It’s called the “Power of &.”

“The Power of &” tells the story of a company – American Telephone & Telegraph – that came together with an “&” more than a century ago. Since then, we’ve grown and built AT&T. We’re putting more “ands” together and making them work for you, our customers. We serve businesses – large and small – and individuals and families alike.

We bring the “Power of &” to more than 3.5 million business customers around the world, including nearly all of the Fortune 1000. To these businesses, “and” means agility. Business has always been about tough choices – one path or another. We help them do one thing and another … at the same time. This helps businesses sense and adapt to an ever-changing landscape and maintain their competitive edge. 

“Businesses today need the agility to manage a whole host of competing priorities. And AT&T is the technology partner to help them do just that,” Steve McGaw, CMO for AT&T Business Solutions.

“I’m excited to tell the world our story of how we put everything together for our customers. Our new positioning for business articulates the full breadth and depth of what we offer businesses around the world. That’s the real ‘power of &.’ We manage the business of opposing forces and create real solutions for customers. And that’s what we make possible.”

In TV spots that will debut during the PGA Masters golf tournament this weekend as well as online and in print, AT&T wants to show businesses how its agility “&” durability, local “&” global capabilities, and so on, comprise an unparalleled partner for growing their companies.

“This is the biggest and most significant business ad campaign we’ve done in many, many years,” McGaw told Ad Age. “Business customers are looking for technology partners who can put tools and capabilities in their hands and build a support infrastructure that spans technologies—wireline, wireless and cloud—to help them navigate the paradoxes that parallel the market.”

In choosing the Masters for a TV launch of the campaign, AT&T selected a target-rich environment of business executives, company owners and entrepreneurs who love golf—especially the sport’s premier tournament. “It’s a great chance to engage more deeply with this audience,” added McGaw.