AT&T will begin the “folding” the Cingular brand into itself like a tiger eating its young as early as Monday according to their website:

Starting Monday, Jan. 15, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is launching a new multi-media campaign to begin transitioning the Cingular brand to AT&T in advertising and customer communications, throughout Web sites and nationwide retail stores, and on company buildings and vehicles.

“Around the world, our customers recognize the AT&T brand for meaningful innovation, a commitment to customer service, high quality and exceptional reliability,” said Edward E. Whitacre Jr., chairman and CEO of AT&T. “AT&T, BellSouth and Cingular are now one company, and going to market with our services under one brand is the right thing to do.”

The right thing to do? Like Quaker Oats? Anyway, expect to see ads about the merger on websites, billboards, television, movie theaters, etc, starting Monday.

Jack, Cingular’s friendly orange splotch, will stick around for awhile:

During the transition, the campaign will integrate popular imagery, phrases and icons from Cingular’s traditional advertising, including the “raising the bar” tag line, the “Jack” character and the color orange.

Each transition campaign element will conclude with the Cingular and AT&T logos coming together while an announcer states that “Cingular is now the new AT&T.” The broadcast spots will conclude with an animation in which the “Jack” character appears to “skywrite” the AT&T globe.

One can assume they’ll be pushing their relationship with Apple, as well.
Customers will begin hearing the name AT&T on their voice greetings and begin receiving merger information with their bills in a few weeks. —MEGHANN MARCO

Cingular Is Now the New AT&T (Press Release) [AT&T]

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