[jinxednuance]

As part of our advertising class, we're supposed to come up with an ad campaign for Blackberry.

We've chose our audience to be between 18 to 24 because those are the people that are going to either graduate and start working. So we thought why not get them hooked on Blackberry paving way for them to get comfortable with it when they start working...

As we know Iphone is always perceived as the "hip cool" phone and Blackberry is the "sophisticated" one, so we decided to promote this image of Blackberry and not convince people that Blackberry is like the Iphone. We wanted to keep Blackberry's identity.

Given all this information, what would you as a Blackberry used (if you're 18 to 24 that would be better) like to see in an ad? What would you think make you change and buy a Blackberry?

This is a serious project and we're putting all our efforts into it. If you find room for constructive criticism, by all means. It would only make us know what we're doing better.

Thanks for reading!

P.s. I just sold my Bold (feeling a little depressed) because I'm waiting for the Onyx (yay!).

[cornettbr]

Probably something to do with being organized the average 18-24 yr old is going to college. They need some organization of when homeworks due, what time and day their classes are, what time and day extra curricular activities are (Frat, Sorority, Sports) When the big game is on, etc. Look at what makes the college life so great and look at how the blackberry can keep you closer to that and how it can make it easier (Calendar, Memo Pad, BBM, Texting, Internet, Emails etc...)

[jinxednuance]

Probably something to do with being organized the average 18-24 yr old is going to college. They need some organization of when homeworks due, what time and day their classes are, what time and day extra curricular activities are (Frat, Sorority, Sports) When the big game is on, etc. Look at what makes the college life so great and look at how the blackberry can keep you closer to that and how it can make it easier (Calendar, Memo Pad, BBM, Texting, Internet, Emails etc...)

We've thought of that. But don't you think this age group are more interested in "sex" related stuff? (hot chicks, men etc...) and that advertising "being organized in school" may appeal only to the nerdy audience?

Just a thought...

[Denise in Los Angeles]

BBM seems very popular with the younger Blackberry users. Maybe if you asked in the Social Users forum, you could find out why they love the BBM feature so much.

[amazinglygraceless]

You got your target audience. Good.
You have a platform. Even better.

Now choose two devices (Bold and 8900)
and play up the features. Use things such as:

3G for blazing speed.
WiFi enabled (UMA for calling on select carriers)
Be your own DJ - accepts up 32gb memory card so take your
music with you.
Capture those special memories with built camera and video recorder
BBM - a free and fun alternative to texting other BB users worldwide.

Point out how the calendar, memo pad can keep their school,
personal and professional life organized.

Then pimp some of the well known free apps for things such
as FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, Mapping, Sports (Score Mobile)
the streaming radio apps (Slacker, FlyCast, Moodio) etc...

Play up the fact that just having a BB you can leave the camera,
video recorder, MP3 player, radio at home. Heck it can even
replace your alarm clock.

Lastly point out the other devices (a BB for every taste) and
what is on the horizon

[jinxednuance]

You got your target audience. Good.
You have a platform. Even better.

Now choose two devices (Bold and 8900)
and play up the features. Use things such as:

3G for blazing speed.
WiFi enabled (UMA for calling on select carriers)
Be your own DJ - accepts up 32gb memory card so take your
music with you.
Capture those special memories with built camera and video recorder
BBM - a free and fun alternative to texting other BB users worldwide.

Point out how the calendar, memo pad can keep their school,
personal and professional life organized.

Then pimp some of the well known free apps for things such
as FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, Mapping, Sports (Score Mobile)
the streaming radio apps (Slacker, FlyCast, Moodio) etc...

Play up the fact that just having a BB you can leave the camera,
video recorder, MP3 player, radio at home. Heck it can even
replace your alarm clock.

Lastly point out the other devices (a BB for every taste) and
what is on the horizon

It's good you mentioned the "other devices" because what we were thinking that we don't want to sell a phone, (compare Bold or Storm to Iphone) we want to sell a mentality, an attitude you know? We want the viewer to feel like "damn, I need to be part of this sophisticated club, I need to get that bold" -- but yes, I see your point very well, thanks for the input.

[amazinglygraceless]

I hear you, but here is where it gets a bit dicey. A mindset,
mentality, attitude are intangibles. You have to sell the product.

You have to demonstrate what the product can do, how it will
help them in all aspects of their lives. Do that and the mentality
will take care of itself. Don't do that and your ad will almost
assuredly fail to capture attention.

[ElJaguar]

Remember to tout some of the technology as revolutionary and imply that it's exclusive to a BB. It's worked for Apple when hyping it's OS.

Remember to hype up the differntiating features that will appeal to them. Make it sound like they are missing out if they don't have these features.

[amazinglygraceless]

Oh, one more thing came to mind.

At all cost avoid pointing out that it is the preferred device in
corporate environments. You are not trying to sell them their
fathers phone.

[jinxednuance]

Oh, one more thing came to mind.

At all cost avoid pointing out that it is the preferred device in
corporate environments. You are not trying to sell them their
fathers phone.

We've also thought of that in a sense:
you know how a lot of kids know technology more than their parents? they are tech-savvy and what not? Well what if we change it and create an ad where the dad is actually more knowledgeable about the Blackberry than the kid (which is true because most probably the dad has a Blackberry connected to his work), so the kid would feel like "really, since when does my father know more about technology than I do" and that way he'd feel jealous and would want a Blackberry himself, but we somehow dropped the idea.

[Laura Knotek]

I would maybe mention that they could start a group on BBM. For instance, a group of fellow fraternity brothers, classmates in a particular course, people planning a party, etc.

Maybe mention that they could just show their PIN to people they meet with BlackBerrys and scan it to add them to BBM. Then the guys and girls who meet at parties could chat.

[sweet_serendipity]

my husband and I use the calendar/invite features to keep track of each other's schedules... this could also be an essential function for college kids... parties, study groups, lunch, etc... I see an alarm when he won't be home for dinner... or when he has to work on Saturday, it eliminates 80% of our arguments!

[Scones2]

What attracted me to Blackberry (20yo college student) was the fact that it was a "do-all" device. Phone, calender, SMS/MMS, internet, radio etc. I don't need to lug my laptop and planner around anymore because I can get on the net with my phone and write down dates/memos with my blackberry. I can also call my friends and text people to stay in touch. Also IMO the blackberry looks much more professional than the iPhone. For some reason my professors always think I'm doing something important when I'm playing Klondike in class

The way I saw it when choosing a phone was that the iPhone was a toy. I live in a nice community in SoCal where kids are driving e-class Mercedes and 5-series BMW's to school. Every kid and their dog has an iPhone, which led me to view it as just toy for the rich and not a true tool for increasing productivity. Now I know thats not true but thats what advertising is all about isn't it? Playing to peoples perceptions

I think that is what will help you a lot. If you try to engineer the commercial to portray the Blackberry as a phone for the suave young professional who is on his way up.

[jinxednuance]

Nice post! I liked the Kolndike example. its true blackberry tends to give you this image associated to it unlike the iphone. Ugh I hate the ifone.

I will be working on portraying this image you mentioned that's what we had planned...

Thanks a lot though

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[cherryjuice]

You want to attract 18-24yr olds? Try nekkid women n beer

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Scones2]

You want to attract 18-24yr olds? Try nekkid women n beer

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

well yes that could work, but is it classy?

[skyboxer]

Highlight the multitasking abilities of the device. For example:
Girl in a dorm gets a phone call from her mom. Puts her on speaker and reads a waiting email, then checks her twitter feed. Horn honks from outside, so she sends a message that she's on the phone to mom and she'll be right down. Mom asks about maybe coming to visit saturday, so she checks the calendar to find a party is planned to saturday night. She tells mom there is a sociology cram session planned that day and they agree to visit sunday instead. More small talk on the phone while she updates her facebook status. The call ends and the commercial fades out. CONNECTED-with Blackberry.
Or something like that

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Tim_UK]

What you want is a TV ad. To keep it "cool" you'll need to make it simple, just a stationary shot of the phone being held against a white background will do.

Now bring in a second hand, this will have the audience wondering what'll happen next, tension and all that.


The next stage is to have the second hand perform a series of tasks at lightening speed, much faster than your device can physically handle them, miss out a few button presses/steps in the process to get it under 30 seconds and you're good to go.

Hang on, that's been done.

Seriously though I'm 22 and got my BB after pouring over the options and deciding it was the best for what I wanted (lots of email and text) I'd tend to agree with amazingly graceless in that you need to sell what the phone does, rather than some aspirational lifestyle/image, and also with whoever said beer and women will work.

Oh and don't get too hung up on competing with the iphone, it might shift huge volumes of units but there are much better phones out there too. (to be honest there are much "better" phones all over the place than my Bold, but as mentioned it's good at what I use it for, master of one trade, ack of none and all that)

[dchawk81]

Show someone in a BB costume keeping score at Beer Pong.

Show someone in a BB costume playing Beer Pong.

Show someone in a BB costume doing a keg stand.

Show someone in a BB costume at a bar with all the hot girls around him while the rest of the crowd is people dressed like iPhones with nerdy glasses and looking all lonely like Apple chumps.

[steveo1259]

just to point out that after i showed all my school friends my blackberry and they found the facebook app i didnt get the phone back for a good 30 mins so that has to be a selling point right there.

Also point out msn and threaded sms as that seemed to get them going as well

[lordcliff]

convince them fart apps aren't all that important in business.

[Riders On The Storm]

If you are trying to sell an idea or attitude, why not sell being part of the Blackberry "nation", if you will? People want to belong and want to feel like they are a part of something. Portray it as the phone of those who are successful, like CEOs (maybe for college students who aspire to be great) and famous figures, like Jay-Z or John Mayer.

Then talk about not only how being part of this bigger group makes you fit it, but it meets your needs, like social networking like Facebook, communication like BBM, and enjoyment like the web-browser (don't show a stock browser's speed because you'll lose them right there ). Show how having a Blackberry makes you belong and meets your needs. Then your selling a complete solution.

[olblueyez]

Just as Apple has done, create an atmosphere. They use colors, young hip people, these people seem to all be 1st or 2nd year collage.

I recommend something like the Apple vs PC commercials

First thing that comes to mind is a med student with his hands inside a living person, he is looking up and has the dumbest look on his face. He would of course be wearing a stupid ******* white or pink arm band and have white ear buds.

In the foreground at the bottom of the picture is something like "For Professionals" and to the right of that you could put a picture of a 9700 with the name and model number under it.

Better yet, he could extend his raised palm for another surgecal tool and the nurse could be placing a 9700 in his palm. You get the idea.

Another is some bubble gum smacking, pimple face dumbass with crap loads of hair gel trying to hit on a very together chick. While he is talking her up with the armband and a White and huge bluetooth headset the girl could be ignoring him and looking at a super together guy with his back to the camera and something catchy on the screen of his BB, could even be a weekly calander with dates blocked out for every day of the week. See what Im sayin?

[jinxednuance]

Thank you so much for the input guys. Some of the ideas, we've already thought of and others are completely original.

I liked the BB costume, not sure how it's doable but I think it's amazing.

As for comparing the iphone/blackberry commercials, we thought of that but we don't want to "show" our competition in the ad. Besides, as I said, we're selling an idea/style... not a phone in particular.

As for the Blackberry "nation" -- that's exactly what I had in mind!

That being said, I'm forwarding all your suggestions to my group and maybe we will combine more than just one idea.

I was also thinking of using amateur videos of people describing the Blackberry experience. Say a girl in university holding her Blackberry while her other friend is filming her from a Blackberry and we can combine a few of them (different students from different areas of North America and have them talk about their Blackberry...

[Tour Up From the Floor Up]

What attracted me to Blackberry (20yo college student) was the fact that it was a "do-all" device. Phone, calender, SMS/MMS, internet, radio etc. I don't need to lug my laptop and planner around anymore because I can get on the net with my phone and write down dates/memos with my blackberry. I can also call my friends and text people to stay in touch. Also IMO the blackberry looks much more professional than the iPhone. For some reason my professors always think I'm doing something important when I'm playing Klondike in class

The way I saw it when choosing a phone was that the iPhone was a toy. I live in a nice community in SoCal where kids are driving e-class Mercedes and 5-series BMW's to school. Every kid and their dog has an iPhone, which led me to view it as just toy for the rich and not a true tool for increasing productivity. Now I know thats not true but thats what advertising is all about isn't it? Playing to peoples perceptions

I think that is what will help you a lot. If you try to engineer the commercial to portray the Blackberry as a phone for the suave young professional who is on his way up.

Let me guess either you live in southern Orange County or in the hills near the beach in L.A.?