If you’re fed up with your cell phone provider’s high prices, Ryan Reynolds is here to help. So is Winnie-the-Pooh. Or, rather, Winnie-the-Screwed.
The actor decided to take advantage of the classic children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entering the public domain — which allows people to republish or adapt a previously published work without paying a copyright fee — by altering the tale to show how his company, Mint Mobile, can save customers money.
Reynolds turned the book into “Winne-the-Screwed” in an attempt to show how Mint Mobile offers a sensible alternative.
“Chapter 1, in which we are introduced to Winnie-the-Screwed and his big wireless bill, and the stories begin,” Reynolds reads in a very soothing voiceover from a book, accompanied by light piano playing.
“Here is Edward Bear reviewing his latest bill form Big Wireless,” he continues, as we see a drawing of the character banging his head on a table.
“Bump, bump, bump, he slams the front of his head as hard as he can against the table as he realizes how much he’s being charged. It is, as far as he knows, the only way to have a cell phone, because he hasn’t yet switched to Mint Mobile. Anyhow, here he is getting worked over like so many people, and ready to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Screwed.”
Reynolds then subtly and calmly makes his pitch as he keeps reading from his revised take on the children’s tale.
“Like anyone with a big wireless plan, Winnie-the-Screwed just wants to keep some of his sweet, sweet money,” he says. “But his money jar gets emptier and emptier with every monthly bill. So, I told Christopher Robin that anyone can get 3 free months of Mint Mobile now until Friday at midnight. The end,” he says as the camera pans down to a picture in the book of Christopher Robin looking at a sign that says “3 months free!”
Then, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, Reynolds wraps up the spot by quickly saying, “Unless my interpretation of copyright law is wrong.”
Reynolds is no stranger to clever ads. Last year, he went viral for his amusing video plugging his Aviation American Gin. He made another humorous spot with 2020 with Taylor Swift for Match.com and, more recently, put together a commercial for Peleton in the wake of the death of Chris Noth’s character after riding on the popular exercise bike in the “Sex and the City” sequel series, “And Just Like That…”