Ad Map Flap

“This is a junk lawsuit. It has no merit,” said Verizon rep Jeffrey Nelson, referring to a lawsuit filed by AT&T on Nov. 3 in which the company claims that Verizon’s “There’s a map for that” ads are misleading.

This was Verizon's response just days after it was hit with a lawsuit over competitive claims in a series of ads, comparing AT&T's 3G coverage vs Verizon Wireless.

AT&T specifically points to the large amount of white space featured in U.S. maps depicted in the Verizon ads. AT&T argues that the white space implies the company has no cellphone coverage in large swaths of the country. And frankly, not many people I know who live in the blue areas are happy with dropped calls on their AT&T devices.

Such claims are bogus, says Verizon, since the map in the offending ad is specifically about 3G service, and does not clarify that AT&T offers other levels of cell service in non-3G zones.

“It's surprising that rather than defend the ‘blue’ hot spots on their 3G map, our competitor instead focuses on their white spaces,” said Nelson. “The maps clearly note that the comparisons are of 3G service, and further note that voice and data services are available in other places.”

And isn't that the whole point of advertising? To show how your product differs and is better than the competition?