📌 In This Deep Dive
The new Verizon commercial stars actor Chris Briney alongside Whitesnake’s iconic 1987 ballad “Is This Love” to promote the company’s Verizon Shine daily deals. Directed like a dramatic romantic short film, the spot subverts heartthrob tropes by pairing intense waiting-by-the-phone tension with a hilarious comedic twist. Beyond identifying The Summer I Turned Pretty star and the classic 80s rock track, this analysis explores why social media is obsessing over Briney’s new look and breaks down how the ad flips emotional expectations into a brilliant piece of commercial entertainment.
The YouTube version of the new Verizon commercial runs for a full two minutes, giving us the chance to watch it almost like a short film. The lead actor is a face you might recognize right away, and social media predictably went crazy over him. The background song is an old rock love ballad that not everyone remembers, turning the whole spot into a moody romantic short.
There is a twist at the end, though, so unexpected that people have been asking around about what it actually means. As a result, the new Verizon commercial has sparked online debate for all sorts of reasons: who is that handsome actor, and where have we seen him before? Where does the song come from, and what does the protagonist’s final smile really signify? Let’s take it as a piece of top-tier commercial entertainment and break down all the answers.
“This is 100% your look”: Chris Briney Is the New Verizon Commercial Actor
The lead actor in the new Verizon commercial is Chris Briney, whom we all know as the charming Conrad from The Summer I Turned Pretty. His hair color is a bit different here, but he’s still very much that quietly brooding guy who doesn’t say much while hiding a storm of emotions inside.
Fans were quick to celebrate the return of the guy who spent three seasons in a chaotic back-and-forth romance in the show. The internet thoroughly approved of his new look, too, filling Instagram comments with a viral quote from season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty that defined his character’s quiet, moody charm: “This is 100% your look, Connie Baby.” Safe to say, people are loving Chris Briney’s fresh style.
And Verizon obviously plays right into it: in the new commercial, Briney walks away from the girl in the very first scene, admitting he’s going to wait. For two whole minutes, he’s frustrated, restless, constantly checking his phone screen. Then, finally, the call from his love arrives… and he declines it. That wasn’t really what he was waiting for after all. At that point, a Verizon Shine daily deal notification pops up, and Chris Briney is suddenly all smiles: what he was desperately waiting for has finally arrived.
A true love story, basically, except the object of his affection wasn’t a girl. And the background track makes the whole thing feel even more intense…
Is This Love: The 80s Power Ballad Behind the Verizon Commercial
The song playing throughout the dramatic two-minute spot is “Is This Love” by Whitesnake, and its placement is actually a stroke of comedic genius.
For younger viewers who came for Chris Briney, Whitesnake might not sound like a familiar name, but back in the late 1980s, they were absolute rock royalty. Formed in 1978 by former Deep Purple frontman David Coverdale, the British hard rock band became one of the defining acts of the hair metal era. Released in 1987, “Is This Love” was one of their biggest global hits, climbing all the way to number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a staple of classic rock radio.
The track is the ultimate 80s love ballad, packed with soaring guitar solos, atmospheric synthesizers, and unapologetically dramatic lyrics about waiting in the dark, staring at the clock, and wondering if that feeling is true love.
I find I spend my time waiting on your call
How can I tell you, babe? My back’s against the wall
I need you by my side to tell me it’s alright
‘Cause I don’t think I can take any moreIs this love that I’m feeling?
Is this the love that I’ve been searching for?
An intense, powerful love anthem paired with a modern story where the protagonist was really just waiting on a daily reward from his phone carrier. The music builds up the emotional stakes of a classic romantic heartbreak, only for the final twist to land: Conrad has finally found true happiness in a $5 discount on a caramel macchiato.
That’s exactly what makes the commercial stand out. You get music that cranks up the intensity, a lead actor carrying all that emotional weight, and then a fast, unexpected punchline that completely flips the script. Following up on Stephen Kalyn and INXS, the new Verizon commercial scored another winning song + actor combo, and TV audiences won’t have any complaints.
