Filmed on a short timetable—in some cases, at the actors’ homes—the ad features Macht and Adams explaining how T-Mobile’s program prevents customers from having to fill up or charge their rental vehicle when dropping it off at Dollar. Cooper’s observation that Magenta Status members get a $5 movie coupon every month elicits a “that’s why we belong to T-Mobile” from Campano and a raised-eyebrow retort from her son.
If none of that—or Macht and Adams’ brief song and dance about discounted Hilton stays—lands with the audience, viewers are directed to Tmobile.com/Status at the end of the ad to figure it out for themselves.
“This commercial is so different creatively from our musical, but also very similar in one way: both seek to strike a balance between entertaining and selling,” said Andrew Panay, CEO of Panay Films. “Here, we tried to unlock the personalities of these stars while still driving home the benefits of Magenta Status in a way that is still very funny and watchable.”
For his part, Common shouts the praises of Magenta Status in his best Denzel and seems bent on nailing his audition. An actor since the late ‘90s, Common went on one of his first auditions in Los Angeles for the part of a coach feeling extremely nervous in “a whistle and corny, cheesy coach’s shorts” Unable to relax, take it all in and be present, he was told he was green and was sent on his way.
Taking it as motivation to work harder on his next outing, he auditioned for the 2006 ensemble action thriller Smokin’ Aces, got two callbacks, flew in from China for the second and landed what was ultimately his first film role. Now an Oscar, Emmy and three-time Grammy winner, Common still considers his role in pitching T-Mobile’s Magenta Status to more than 100 million people at the Super Bowl “very, very high” on his list of achievements.