Verizon opened up total war against AT&T in October when it unleashed its “There’s a Map for That” ad campaign, slamming AT&T’s 3G coverage using the iPhone commercial catchphrase “there’s a map for that.”

Since then, both sides have relentlessly attacked each other. First AT&T sued Verizon, Verizon fired back with holiday attack ads and its own statement. Most recently, AT&T returned fire with its own commercials starring Luke Wilson.

Caught in the commercial crossfire however has been Apple and the coveted iPhone. After a month and a half of being the whipping boy of Verizon ads, Apple has apparently had enough. Starting tonight, new Apple ads will flood the airwaves that not only tout the iPhone, but the AT&T network (sort of).

Apple Isn’t Too Happy…

According to WSJ’s AllThingsD, Apple has opted to air two ads during tonight’s prime time programming (think “House”) that focus on the iPhone’s ability to surf the mobile web while still on your call, something that Verizon does not support.

The end of each ad is where Apple makes its dig into Verizon, asking “Can your phone and your network do that?” while displaying the AT&T logo. This is the first time we’ve ever heard an Apple ad specifically talk about the AT&T network.

Apple needed to respond: Verizon was attacking AT&T by targeting its core strength, which is by far the iPhone. Apple couldn’t let the iPhone’s brand be damaged anymore. However, these ads really aren’t Apple specifically endorsing AT&T, but rather them endorsing the non-CDMA 3G network AT&T employs. Verizon’s CDMA cannot support phone calls + Internet browsing, while the non-CDMA can.

Regardless, this entire affair is probably going to get uglier soon, with more commercials and more posturing by all sides. Here are the ads that will air tonight, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal:

Tags: apple, att, iphone, verizon

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