Un-ironic? Alanis Morissette Hypes UScellular's 'US Mode'

Irony’s never lost on Alanis Morissette, who seems to have fun sending up her bygone angry rocker persona in The Martin Agency’s new work for UScellular.

“Our phones were made to help us connect,” she begins. “But somehow, they’ve made us less connected. Which is ironic. Don’t ya think?”

Directed with farcical style by Hungry Man’s Dan Ospal, the :60 hypes “US Mode,” an initiative that helps consumers put limits on social media apps and notifications to foster more IRL connection.

We get loads of Easter Eggs—”Ironic” lyrics appear on street pamphlets, book jackets and bus-sides, for example—while reimagined scenes from the song’s 1996 music video complete the nostalgia play.

In the original award-winning clip, Morissette furiously thrashed her head as power chords raged. Now, she nods sagely, basking in the brand.

But a hint of rebellion emerged on set.

“We gave Alanis a snack, since she was eating something in the original video,” Martin GCD Allison Rude tells Muse. “We expected her to take a few bites and then spit it out and move onto the next scene. But she went full throttle. She was smelling the crackers, shoving 10, 11 in her mouth at a time.”

“We were all watching from the video village, completely in awe that here was this iconic singer, who’s album was a ‘first CD’ for many of us, letting loose and recreating this legendary scene. It felt very rock star.”

As for the iconic singer’s selection, “We talked a lot about the contradictory ways we use our phones. But once we realized those contradictions were also ironic, the idea took off. It was definitely Alanis or bust,” recalls CD Elliot Nordstrom.

“Alanis is one of those timeless artists who pops in and out of culture every couple of years,” he says. “And this summer for a variety of reasons, she’s been in the zeitgeist. She’s on a huge tour. Jagged Little Pill is about to celebrate its 30-year anniversary. She’s also gotten a lot of attention for her takes on mental health, which aligns with UScellular’s digital-health mission.”

“But those were all happy coincidences. The creative idea relied so heavily on irony, that we always wanted it to be her. But it doesn’t hurt that our target audience are mostly in their 30s and 40s. I myself am a ‘geriatric millennial,’ and Jagged Little Pill was in constant rotation on my Discman.”

“We weren’t the first brand to ask Alanis to do something with the song ‘Ironic.’ But we were the first she said yes to. It probably didn’t hurt that we weren’t trying to sling data plans and new phones.”