This is what’s happening now …
Sprint’s launched a new campaign and is getting some good buzz on twitter because it mentions twitter. I think the ad is a serious miss. But first why not watch it for yourself…
Pretty cool animation style, potentially interesting factoids – but for whom? Most of what happens though is more visually interesting to the average person than actually meaningful or more importantly informative.
TV advertising is generally considered highly efficient because of it’s potential reach, but it’s also incredibly wasteful because there’s no real way to focus the message effectively at that scale. In the case of this piece, I’m wondering how many people even understand what they are seeing. The premise here is gobs of activity on our amazingly capable network. If you get that and based on the frequency it’s running you’ll get a few chances to pick up on it, you might also realize Sprint is saying they apparently are able to and more importantly are actively scanning customer content.
The best part though is the end when they claim to be America’s most dependable 3G network bringing you the first wireless (in case you were expecting there to be a wired) 4G network. This is when the magic happens … all the content from the screen – and there’s a lot of it – zooms through the PalmPre screen which is NOT called out by name or that it is coming soon. The transition from 4G to PalmPre suggests the Pre is going to be a 4G device which is simply false. I’m a geek. I get it. Most people will not and will instead be left (if they get any of this commerical) that there’s a new 4G cool thing coming. Good luck buying that phone!
Let’s recap –
- expensive to produce, expensive to run
- limited audience understanding
- negative brand connotations
- false associations with an upcoming major product
Score!
i don't see it that way. for me, it's an ad specifically targeted at technophile people (= in this context, the fast growing portion of smartphone and mobile internet users), who already know that 4G is not just around the corner, and who also recognize the pre without mentioning it (i mean, come on. the pre is/was all over the tech blogs and news paper tech columns for the last few months!). the guys who made this ad certainly didn't expect *grandma* to get that.. 😉
furthermore, i like the style and content of this ad very much! it combines statistical facts about their network with cute stuff like the dog @ :26 or the twitter birds. -> that's to catch the female geeks, and also to tell us “we are like you – we know what you do on the internet (social media, networks) and what you find cute and funny. which certainly worked for me.. (ok, i'm male, but a dog always works for me 😉
i'd give it a 9 out of 10!
technophiles = niche as this is running in mass media during prime time. too much is lost on the vast majority of people watching. Think they got a bit too cool for themselves here and are missing a massive opportunity to speak to a broader group. Not that the CEO speaking commercials were any better actually …
Are you on sprint? Are you switching? For me the answers are no and no.
i don't see it that way. for me, it's an ad specifically targeted at technophile people (= in this context, the fast growing portion of smartphone and mobile internet users), who already know that 4G is not just around the corner, and who also recognize the pre without mentioning it (i mean, come on. the pre is/was all over the tech blogs and news paper tech columns for the last few months!). the guys who made this ad certainly didn't expect *grandma* to get that.. 😉
furthermore, i like the style and content of this ad very much! it combines statistical facts about their network with cute stuff like the dog @ :26 or the twitter birds. -> that's to catch the female geeks, and also to tell us “we are like you – we know what you do on the internet (social media, networks) and what you find cute and funny. which certainly worked for me.. (ok, i'm male, but a dog always works for me 😉
i'd give it a 9 out of 10!
technophiles = niche as this is running in mass media during prime time. too much is lost on the vast majority of people watching. Think they got a bit too cool for themselves here and are missing a massive opportunity to speak to a broader group. Not that the CEO speaking commercials were any better actually …
Are you on sprint? Are you switching? For me the answers are no and no.