Comments on: You won't.

You won't.

WolfDaddy — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 05:20:39 -0800

So the banner ad turned 10 a few days ago, according to dabitch, but what I find more fascinating is that its first use was in connection with all those AT&T "You Will" television commercials from the early '90s. Here, collected on one page, for your consideration, are those ads. As Frau Farbissina would screech: "Lies. ALL LIES!" Well, perhaps AT&T didn't lie to us about all their predictions, but I'm still waiting for my "intelligent assistant" who'll work on those playoff tickets for me. How many predictions did they make that came true can you find here?

By: eschatfische

eschatfische — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 07:08:23 -0800

The director of many (or all?) of those ads was David Fincher, which explains the awkward juxtaposition of the jubilant, feel-good soundtrack and of the dark, creepy visuals. Also, those ads were for the Bell Labs division of AT&T that was spun off into Lucent; not the curiously bathetic version of AT&T that just pulled out of the consumer landline market. They're honestly not as far off as I had expected.

By: inksyndicate

inksyndicate — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 07:09:05 -0800

Hey, check this out: They're all online to watch here. I love the cyberpunk visuals.

By: inksyndicate

inksyndicate — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 07:11:04 -0800

Oops...just go here and type "you will" at&t in the search box.

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 07:37:49 -0800

erm, inksyndicate, if you had bothered to click the initial link I provided you probably wouldn't have such a red face right now ;-) [/gentle chide]

By: kindall

kindall — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 07:55:02 -0800

And you know, for the stuff that we don't have yet, well, we don't have it yet. That's different from the promise being a lie.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 08:07:17 -0800

WHEN A CORPORATION SAYS IT, IT'S ALWAYS A PROMISE, AND NEVER A LIE.

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 08:22:16 -0800

While we're on the subject, screw flying cars, I want flying cars AND EXTRA-NEON HOLOGRAPHIC ADVERTS TO FLY SAID CAR THROUGH, dammit.

By: ed

ed — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 08:57:16 -0800

The ads failed for one primary reason. Customers inadvertently thought they were being asked to change their first name to "Will." The result? Inexplicable hatred for the banner ad and for guys named "Will." Can't we all just get along?

By: inksyndicate

inksyndicate — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 09:03:23 -0800

Oops.

By: kevspace

kevspace — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 09:12:33 -0800

As long as Google doesn't set up franchise booths, hire Robin Williams and rename themselves "Ask Dr. Know."

By: Tlogmer

Tlogmer — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 09:19:13 -0800

Have you ever paid a toll without slowing down? I have. Have you ever watched a movie the minute you wanted to? Yep. On another note -- I expected these to be stupid after all this time, but they're great, in a slightly anachrnoistic way ("have you ever tucked your baby in ... from a phone booth?" heh). I dig the music, too.

By: dabitch

dabitch — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 09:38:49 -0800

I like that phone-booth thing. It's right but wrong. We can tuck our babies in with our 3G cell phones! Who needs phonebooths? I hope my little server holds. ;)

By: O9scar

O9scar — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 09:57:02 -0800

As a friend once pointed out to me, the music is very similar to Salisbury Hill by Peter Gabriel. If I'm not mistaken, that's Naomi Watts on the train, and Jenna Elfman doing the "tucking." Sure, the cash machine predictions are silly, and payphones? Oops. But still, the ads hold up fairly well.

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 10:39:17 -0800

dabitch, if your little server got boingboing'd, certainly it can handle us widdle folks, right? ;-)

By: dabitch

dabitch — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 11:07:32 -0800

Have you ever paid a toll without slowing down? I have. So have I, the funny thing is, AT&T had nothing to do with it. ;) Wolfdaddy, yeah looks like it can. Good boy. pets server.

By: Keyser Soze

Keyser Soze — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 14:01:17 -0800

Have you ever watched a movie the minute you wanted to? Yeah dude almost every time now and I don't pay corporations for it.

By: crasspastor

crasspastor — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 15:17:35 -0800

Isn't that Karen Duffy of later MTV fame "buying concert tickets from a cash machine"?

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 20:51:10 -0800

hey, I liked those ads. So much better-produced than the usual Madison Avenue crap.

By: codger

codger — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 06:58:04 -0800

I've used these as a backhanded reference here and there and apparently nobody remembers them. Had I said "Where's the beef?", I'm sure people would recognize the nod, but somehow these AT&T gems have been forgotten.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 09:24:50 -0800

Um, not to be a stickler, but the first ad is dated May 3, 1993, doesn't that make it 11 as of this past May? Nice post though. Thanks.

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 12:19:08 -0800

The first "You Will" television ad is from 1993. The first www banner ad turned ten this year. I'm just glad all those tv spots are gathered in one place online now, though ... they're one of the most memorable things, to me, about the early 90s.