While content everywhere is getting shorter, podcasts are somehow getting longer (2 hours with Joe Rogan?!). Who has time for that? As a brand that simplifies consumer experience with Straightforward Pricing, AT&T Fiber cuts out all the BS with a podcast that gives listeners only what they need. In a first-of-its-kind audio campaign, we created the world’s shortest and most straightforward podcast series, that hijacked other podcasts. We then aired episodes in popular podcasts, disguised as traditional ads. A podcast in a podcast? Yup, that was a first too.

Content is trending shorter. GIFs are the new sports highlights. TikToks have replaced actually watching stuff. Yet, podcasts are still needlessly long and complicated. Hosts go on and on before even getting to the thing listeners tuned in for. In fact, the average podcast episode has ballooned to 40 minutes, while the most popular podcast averages 2 hours and 38 minutes. Telco brands are famous for long, complicated monthly bills and contracts, but AT&T simplifies them all with its Straightforward Pricing. We wanted to do the same in podcasts, a space where episodes have only gotten needlessly longer even though other forms of content are trending shorter. So, we created the world’s shortest and most straightforward podcast. The run time of each episode lasts about half a minute, a nod to AT&T Fiber’s quick internet connection.

Podcasts have gotten way too long, rambling endlessly before giving listeners what they initially tuned in for. That’s why we made the world’s shortest and most straightforward podcast series. Hosted by JB Smoove, known for his straightforward takes, we wrote and produced 12 episodes that you can finish in seconds. From becoming a better lover to a better person, JB has got you. The episodes were so short that we aired them within popular podcasts, disguised as traditional ads, creating the first-ever podcast in a podcast.

1. Spot Title: Straightforward Trailer

Length: :33

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: Content. We only want the good. None of the fluff. So why are podcasts getting so dang long? Introducing Straightforward, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing. Hosted by me, JB Smoove! The only podcast that simplifies the complicated to give you straight answers in half a minute, max. Find Straightforward wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T Fiber, Live like a GIGillionaire.

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

1. Spot Title: Kakadus

Length: :28

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: The Kakadu plum is an Australian native superfood containing 100 times more vitamin C than oranges. So why have you never heard of it? PR. No one’s drinking a Kakadu smoothie! Got a lot of work to do, Kakadu!

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

3. Spot Title: A Better You

Length: :30

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: There are countless ways to be a better human. The list could go on forever. But not this list. This one reminds you to please return your shopping cart. What’s wrong with you? Got a gripe! I’m griped up today! Return your shopping cart!

Don’t leave it in the parking lot so that it can bang into other people’s vehicles. Be a better you!

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

4. Spot Title: Housing Crisis

Length: :23

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: Today, I want to talk about the increasing stagnation of the housing market and why it’s harder than ever to break into it.

Baby Boomers! Come on Boomers! Sell us your homes. Ever heard of a place called Florida? That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

5. Spot Title: Secret To Zen

Length: :25

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: If you follow the news, you know stress levels are at an all-time high. And the best thing to do is to do nothing! Watch this – I’m going to do nothing right now. Woo! I feel amazing.

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

6. Spot Title: Bye, Bye Mosquitos

Length: :28

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: Mosquitoes. Our forever enemies. There’s not one simple way to avoid them. There are actually two.

One, move to Iceland. And two, never come back.

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

7. Spot Title: Better Lover

Length: :27

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: Today I’m gonna give you some straightforward advice on being a better lover. Let me cut to the chase: love yourself, but don’t love yourself so much you don’t have any love leftovers for your lover. Remember, love doesn’t reheat well in the microwave.

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

8. Spot Title: "War and Peace" In Short

Length: :30

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: War and Peace. Tolstoy’s masterpiece, spans 361 chapters, and over 1,200 pages. I could sum it up in one single sentence: there’s war, followed by peace! That’s why it’s called War and Peace. It’s on the cover, I just saved you a lot of time – you’re welcome!

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

9. Spot Title: Parent Like A Boss

Length: :22

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: Today I’m going to give you some straightforward advice on how to deal with naughty kids. How about instead of time outs, time ins! Time for you to start paying some bills!

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

10. Spot Title: Roller Coaster vs. Ferris Wheel

Length: :29

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: A roller coaster. Created in the 1800s by LaMarcus Thomas to keep folks’ minds out of the gutter as they soar through the sky. On the other hand, the Ferris wheel did none of that. Did you ever see a frisky couple come out of a Ferris wheel?

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

11. Spot Title: Night Light

Length: :28

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: Today we explore childhood fears that persist into adulthood. In fact, 11% of adults remain afraid of the dark and confess to running up the stairs when they turn the lights off. To the 89% who don’t do that: the shadow people are going to get you!

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

12. Spot Title: How to Stop a Ninja

Length: :35

SFX: Music bed & JB’s voice.

JB: [sings] Straightforward.

JB: Let’s travel back 500 years to the feudal era of Japan to uncover why a culture known for its meticulous craftsmanship deliberately built homes with creaky floors?

Ninjas. If you asked me, a lot of those stealthy Ninjas used their abilities to step out and have affairs! And the spouses weren’t having it. Squeaky over sneaky, saved many a Ninja marriage.

That was a Straightforward podcast, inspired by AT&T Fiber Straightforward Pricing.

1. Podcast Ad

Spot Title: Podcast Mid-roll and Pre-roll ad: Kakadus

Length: :31

JB: The Kakadu plum is an Australian native superfood containing 100 times more vitamin C than oranges. So why have you never heard of it? PR. No one’s drinking a Kakadu smoothie!

SFX: Music bed

I’m JB Smoove and that was a full episode of my new podcast, Straightforward, inspired by Guaranteed Straightforward Pricing from AT&T Fiber. Get what you want without the complicated.

AT&T Fiber. Live like a GIGillionaire. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Legal: Limited availability in select areas. Visit att.com/hypergig for details.

2. Podcast Ad

Spot Title: Podcast mid-roll and pre-roll ad: Naughty Kids

Length: :31

JB: Today I’m gonna give you some straightforward advice on how to deal with naughty kids. How about instead of time-outs, time-ins? Time for you to start paying some bills.

SFX: Music bed

I’m JB Smoove and that was a full episode of my new podcast, Straightforward, inspired by Guaranteed Straightforward Pricing from AT&T Fiber. Get what you want without the complicated.

AT&T Fiber. Live like a GIGillionaire. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Legal: Limited availability in select areas. Visit att.com/hypergig for details.

In Telco, consumers are inundated with complicated contracts and hidden fees that condition them to deal-hop. AT&T Fiber’s challenge was to stand out amongst its competitors by highlighting its guaranteed Straightforward Pricing in an unexpected and entertaining way. So, we created Straightforward with JB Smoove, a 12-episode podcast series that delivers straightforward answers in about half a minute, disrupting the traditional podcast model and giving consumers clarity in a category known for confusion and complexity. The podcast set out to deliver clarity in a world of complexity, doubling down on being straightforward and leaning into disruption in traditional audio with the first-ever podcast within a podcast via 30-second streaming audio ads to promote the series. By the end of the flight, the podcasts will have reached 1.9 million people.

The goal for this work was to stand out in the Telco space, bringing the message of Straightforward Pricing to AT&T Fiber-eligible consumers in a new, innovative, and entertaining way. Leveraging JB Smoove as our host, we created a unique and engaging piece of branded entertainment, which by the end of its 60-day media flight (concluding June 2024), will have reached 1.9 million podcast listeners on the iHeartMedia network. Within its first week, the podcast already reached over 600K listeners. And, as for organic podcast listenership, Straightforward with JB Smoove placed among the top 5% of podcasts by number of downloads (listens) in the first week according to Buzzsprout.

The average podcast episode length is 40 minutes. The world’s most popular podcast requires on average a 2-hour, 38-minute listening commitment. Our 12-episode podcast series gives listeners the answers and advice they need in about half a minute, making it the world’s shortest and most straightforward podcast. Our episodes were so short that we disguised them as traditional streaming audio ads and aired them on some of the most popular shows — creating the first-ever podcast within a podcast.