Verizon can't hear you--it's ruling the air now

Thanks to Verizon, I always pause before I utter the phrase "can you hear me now?" when I'm having reception trouble with my mobile phone during a call. Apparently the company didn't think that the slogan was effective enough, though, and is now rebranding with "Rule The Air".

We first heard that the re-branding may be coming thanks to a rumor, and now based on the screenshot I just grabbed from the VerizonWireless.com site (see below), I'd say that the rumors were true.

"Can you hear me now?" is probably the best slogan I had ever heard. Not only did it annoy me, but it reminded me of the guy walking around everywhere and uttering the phrase. I also think of Verizon and how it has a great network covering the country. "Rule The Air" actually sounds a bit silly to me, especially since Verizon still has a landline business. What does Rule The Air really even mean?

Since I'm not a branding expert I won't completely pass judgment. Instead, I'll look forward to soon being able to utter "can you hear me now?" without cringing.