[Shrug] “Works for me…”

When I hear the phrase, “works for me” I think about something that probably isn’t the best, but it’s good enough to get by. If someone were to say “hey, it works for me” it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Sprint however, decided that admitting they aren’t very good but they may just be good enough was the way they wanted to market themselves and I just do not understand it.

Christmas Day, 2017 was the first time I had heard the new slogan in a commercial, and my jaw dropped. Maybe that was the point, maybe Sprint is doing some kind of reverse psychology where I’m supposed to respect them more now that they’re being up front about just being plain old average.

If that was the plan, it’s not working. I’m almost more determined than ever to never pay a dime to Sprint in the future, because what I’m taking from this slogan is that whatever the product is they’re offering, there is probably a better version out there.

Doing some googling shows that the “works for me” campaign was started as part of Sprint’s “renewed focus on the customer.” Apparently Sprint wants me to interpret the the phrase as Sprint is working for me.

Unlimited Freedom is the primary plan Sprint offers. It works for anyone. “Works for Me” marks the first ongoing national advertising campaign Sprint has created in collaboration with agency Droga5 New York.

“‘Works for Me’ should be the desired response for any company that aspires to put its customers first, so we started there,” said Matt Ian, Executive Creative Director, Droga5. “This first ad demonstrates how Sprint would work for Brent and his uncle Phil: two exceptionally prolific political debaters. Sprint Unlimited would work for them and all the data they burn through fighting on social media. And if it works for them, I know it’ll work for me.”

That’s just absolutely ridiculous. I cannot understand why Droga5 didn’t foresee the fact that “works for me” is often said with a shrug about an inferior product.

Maybe I’m alone on this one. Matt Ian must be a pretty smart guy to be the Executive Creative Director of a major advertising agency in New York. However, I think this was a huge swing and a miss and believe that “works for me” may truly be the worst slogan ever created.