Verizon Tags Apple iPhone A Misfit Toy

Using the baby boomer classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer TV special as a backdrop, the Verizon ad places the iPhone on the island of misfit toys where the toys are broken or don't work.

The misfit toy label is no laughing matter for Apple which has taken a lot of heat because of the frequency with which the iPhone drops calls because of the often shoddy AT&T service. AT&T is the exclusive iPhone service provider in the United States for the iPhone. In contrast, Verizon has gotten high marks for its smartphone coverage.

The Verizon ad features the Misfit toys from the original children's television special who are astonished that the iPhone has come to Island of Misfit toys. In the background a map of 3G coverage pinpoints alleged AT&T trouble spots.

The ad attack steps up Verizon's campaign to shed the spotlight on the iPhone's phone coverage shortcomings.

Verizon previously launched a "There's a map for that" ad campaign that skewers both AT&T and Apple.

The "map for that" phrase is a riff on Apple's famous, "There's an app for that" ads for iPhone, but Verizon's version shows various maps indicating national 3G coverage and suggesting Verizon's national wireless coverage is much wider that AT&T's.

AT&T has already filed a lawsuit against Verizon Wireless alleging that Verizon's ads make false claims about the scope of AT&T's 3G wireless service.