How Verizon Turned ‘Fortunate’ Perks Into a Viral Sensation

Verizon stands as one of the most recognizable names in modern internet and phone services, a.k.a the world of connectivity.

Known for its ethos of speed and broad coverage, it remains one of the U.S.’ premier wireless carriers. But serious competition exists, from both established giants as well as up-and-coming niche disruptors.

It’s not an industry where service providers can rest on their laurels, transplanting what worked a few years ago to attract and retain market share.

Verizon knows that today’s customers want more than solid coverage and run-of-the-mill service packages. True differentiation today comes down to making the customer feel valued.

So when Verizon wanted to spotlight how bundling services could help customers save serious money, the message had to tangibly resonate.

Enter OpenFortune, ready to turn everyday perks into something people could literally crack open.

Verizon had the recognition. What it lacked was a fresh way to spotlight why switching was a no-brainer, plus all the perks that come with being a valued Verizon customer in the long term. 

Inherent in that challenge was generating brand awareness and lift, yes. But Verizon needed a clear, crisp, and memorable way to prove to consumers their perks weren’t just nice extras, or time-limited. 

The usual price comparisons and sign-on promos wouldn’t cut it. Every carrier dangles these things — so much so, it can begin to blur into background white noise. 

Verizon wanted a format that felt truthful and sharable. The challenge was turning “you can save money” into something people actually remembered, and that reassured any money-savings wouldn’t disappear with the fine print.

Verizon chose OpenFortune with one goal in mind: turn the usual bundling benefits into a memorable moment.

The partnership took something familiar — the fortune cookie — and infused it with Verizon’s value story, but with some extra twists.

• Front slip creative: Witty fortunes centered on perks, upgrades, and small, delightful wins. Each delivered in short, sharp lines that made saving feel equal parts attainable yet exciting.
  

• Back slip creative: Leaned into the tradition of printed fortune cookie definitions by introducing a brand-new verb, Perkolate: “The act of picking perks to save money with Verizon.”

The power was in the simplicity. Verizon’s branded fortunes gave consumers a word for what they were about to experience. Saving was no longer this passive, short-lived window so many of us have come to expect. It was something you did — you perkolated.

By transforming Verizon’s bundling benefits into a playful piece of language, OpenFortune turned a pricing message into branded behavior. And its behaviors that unlock true results.

• 81% unaided recall. Four out of five customers easily tied Verizon with the new savings concept. That’s invaluable mental real estate, and a true testament to the power of fortune cookies.
  
  

• 8% shared their fortunes on social media. When people post your message without being prompted, you’ve officially made it into the cultural relevancy A list.
  
  

• A nationwide trend of people “perkolating.” One message became a movement reinforcing an “insider” status to Verizon customers, from real savings to real in-group lingo.

It’s one thing to explain your perks. It’s entirely another to award them a personality, and with that a sense of national momentum.

OpenFortune proved once again that when you mix clever language with an experience, and deliver it at the right moment, those messages don’t just stick.

They percolate.