Michael Bay Transforms for New Verizon FiOS Campaign
February 15, 2008

Say what you will about Transformers director Michael Bay, but the guy has proven he can make money rain down from the sky for movie studios. We're not talking everyday money either, we're talking Michael Jackson's former giraffe-in-the-backyard type of figures in the range of $2-3 billion for all of his movies combined. Now Verizon is hoping to tap into the monetary magic of Michael Bay as the company has recruited the director for their new FiOS advertising campaign, which kicks off on February 17 with a TV spot that illustrates the powerful home-entertainment experiences delivered over Verizon’s fiber-optic network straight to customers’ homes. Bay will be the first ever celebrity featured for the company and will promote FiOS TV and FiOS Internet services under the theme "This is Fios; This is Big".

It appears that Bay, who also helmed such blockbusters as Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Bad Boys, won't be taking himself too seriously in the campaign.

According to the official Verizon press release, Michael Bay "... stars in an action-packed, 30-second TV spot for Verizon FiOS Internet service that begins airing Sunday (Feb. 17). In the ad, Bay deftly spoofs his own super-charged Hollywood persona as he blows up things throughout a super-contemporary home to show how Verizon 'blows away' cable Internet service with upload and download speeds that are up to 25 times faster. While a Verizon technician installs FiOS Internet service in the home, Bay uses a remote detonator to blow up a barbecue grill and swimming pool. He also shows off his pet cat - a Bengal tiger - and a 20-foot-tall Transformer to underscore how 'awesome' - a word he continuously repeats - he finds the Verizon fiber-optic technology."

As Verizon expands the FiOS brand, Bay won't be the only celebrity to lend a high-profile image to the campaign. As the official Verizon press release also reveals, "An additional spot featuring another game-changing superstar will air at a later date and will highlight more of the many innovative new features accessible to consumers through Verizon’s advanced fiber-optic network. In addition to ads featuring popular celebrities, the new campaign includes TV spots that showcase FiOS customers sharing stories about the difference FiOS has made in their television and online experiences."

If you're scratching your head still trying to figure out what exactly FiOS is, here's the official lowdown from Verizon:

"The 'This is FiOS; This is Big' campaign demonstrates that FiOS TV is a formidable competitor to cable and satellite TV. FiOS TV delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. The company's fiber network also delivers Internet download speeds of up to 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps, as well as high-quality voice service. Verizon is the only major telecom company building a fiber-optic network all the way to customers’ homes on a mass scale."