AT&T phases out Cingular brand at local stores

In-store signage, kiosks and point-of-sale materials at AT&T’s 1,800 wireless retail stores, including seven in Springfield and one each in Nixa, Republic and Ozark, were switched overnight Sunday to AT&T from the Cingular name, according to AT&T spokeswoman Chelsey Ilten. Exterior signage at the local stores will be swapped within the year.

The brand phase-out is a result of AT&T’s December acquisition of BellSouth Corp., which gave AT&T total ownership of Cingular.

AT&T’s wireless operations have incorporated Cingular’s recognizable orange color into its branding, Ilten said. Jack, Cingular’s famed orange mascot, will be used in less prominent ways, and voice greetings, customer handsets, screen displays and billing statements will change to the new brand.

As all operations consolidate under one brand, AT&T expects to realize “related synergies with an estimated net present value of approximately $2.8 billion,” according to a company news release.

The store makeovers also make room for promotional materials for the Apple iPhone, for which AT&T will be the exclusive U.S. provider when the phone debuts in June.