[pantlesspenguin]

I thought it was meant to be irreverent, and it totally was.

I think having a bunch of young kids come out to the BB van might have seemed a little cliched and not very organic.

I honestly thought it was fun.

Cliche? To us absolutely. But it would've worked to the demographic this was aimed to, I think. Kids want what is popular, what they see everyone else using, and what everyone else gets excited about. Like say a couple kids run to the truck and ask what's providing the sweet oldies. They say "THAT is a blackberry? What else can it do?" then they demonstrate bbm to invite more people to the party in just a few taps. Something like that.

[JAGWIRE]

at work and don't have a video player :'(
but seriously though RIM is trying to take a different route then it has in the past after people were yelling at them and now they still get yelled at!!! RIM is trying its best to get back in the game here people. constructive criticism is great but just plane criticism gets us nowhere fast.

[pantlesspenguin]

How about this for an ad geared toward teens?

It's a large concert venue, and a girl with a blackberry is walking in with some friends. They all have their mobile devices out, texting and what not. As they walk in, they come to a kiosk. An event worker motions to the girl with a blackberry and tells her they're giving away a big prize for one lucky blackberry owner, and asks her to write down her PIN for the raffle. She's eager to get inside and rolls her eyes, but writes down her PIN anyway. The group goes in and finds their seats, and suddenly the girl gets a BBM message saying "Hey, crazy concert, huh? Stick around after the show. You'll know who I am, I'm wearing a black shirt and red cap. Gotta go now." Right then the lights go down, and Justin Bieber comes on stage...wearing a black shirt and red cap. He singles the girl out of the crowd and gives her a knowing wink as he starts singing. The girl, mouth agape, motions to her friends to look at her phone. They see the message from Justin and get all excited, and then look down to their non-bb devices with dismay.

I think something like that would signify exclusivity (possibly countering Apple's "if you don't have an iphone, you don't have an iphone campaign) and make teens think that something like that could happen to them if they had BBM/blackberry.

[Spencerdl]

I'm at a loss for words......(insert foul language).........

[pythons]

That's pretty bad but not nearly as bad as the t.v. spot I watched a week or so ago....
...Where the woman said she sends 1000 emails a day from her blackberry.
....That advert looked pathetic - really pathetic.

[MartyMcfly]

How about this for an ad geared toward teens?

It's a large concert venue, and a girl with a blackberry is walking in with some friends. They all have their mobile devices out, texting and what not. As they walk in, they come to a kiosk. An event worker motions to the girl with a blackberry and tells her they're giving away a big prize for one lucky blackberry owner, and asks her to write down her PIN for the raffle. She's eager to get inside and rolls her eyes, but writes down her PIN anyway. The group goes in and finds their seats, and suddenly the girl gets a BBM message saying "Hey, crazy concert, huh? Stick around after the show. You'll know who I am, I'm wearing a black shirt and red cap. Gotta go now." Right then the lights go down, and Justin Bieber comes on stage...wearing a black shirt and red cap. He singles the girl out of the crowd and gives her a knowing wink as he starts singing. The girl, mouth agape, motions to her friends to look at her phone. They see the message from Justin and get all excited, and then look down to their non-bb devices with dismay.

I think something like that would signify exclusivity (possibly countering Apple's "if you don't have an iphone, you don't have an iphone campaign) and make teens think that something like that could happen to them if they had BBM/blackberry.

BBM would make a great selling point, if teens weren't able to create songs, download cool games like grand theft auto, and not to mention the other cool/things you can do with ios/android. RIMM needs more than bieber in order to get rid of the perception that's currently haunting them....hopefully they don't screw things up with bb10...



Sent from my IPhone 4s using Tapatalk

[pantlesspenguin]

BBM would make a great selling point, if teens weren't able to create songs, download cool games like grand theft auto, and not to mention the other cool/things you can do with ios/android. RIMM needs more than bieber in order to get rid of the perception that's currently haunting them....hopefully they don't screw things up with bb10...



Sent from my IPhone 4s using Tapatalk

Oh for sure. Remember we're just talking about commercials that give the perception of a desirable product. Kids most likely don't know a thing about what all is haunting RIMM these days. And I'm sure on down the line the kid will discover that their blackberry can't do things that their friends' android and iPhone devices can do, but the commercial had already served its purpose - to get the device into the hands of kids.

Think about the very first iphone. It didn't have basic features like a video camera, MMS capabilities, etc but the marketing was so great that it made everyone want one despite its shortcomings.

[dandbj13]

Oh for sure. Remember we're just talking about commercials that give the perception of a desirable product. Kids most likely don't know a thing about what all is haunting RIMM these days. And I'm sure on down the line the kid will discover that their blackberry can't do things that their friends' android and iPhone devices can do, but the commercial had already served its purpose - to get the device into the hands of kids.

Think about the very first iphone. It didn't have basic features like a video camera, MMS capabilities, etc but the marketing was so great that it made everyone want one despite its shortcomings.

What you're suggesting is borderline fraud. Trick them into buying by making them think it is something it's not. Who cares what they think after they open the box. We've got their money.

You make the false assumption that this is how the iPhone gained success. Not true. The iPhone didn't have missing features that mattered in 2007. It didn't have all of the features it has today, nor all the features of some other phones. But some of those features like MMS were only needed because most people couldn't get real email with attachment on their phones.

You have to look at it in context. The people who bought the iPhone were extremely satisfied with their purchase. Every survey since the original iPhone has shown that customers are most satisfied with the iPhone/iPad. How are those satisfaction ratings for BB? You do not win a loyal following by tricking people into buying your crap. You do it by making and marketing a superior product that gives people the experience you promised. When is the last time RIM did that?

[FernleyE]

I just don't know what to think.

Yeah.... I got nothin.

PS- My afterthought on my post is this:

While I like comedy, I'm not sure "Tom Foolery" is a good comedic vein to follow to get people interested. IF we are going to use Music as a featured aspect of BB then we need to use a musical choice or genre that speaks to what BB is historically best at which is a "powerful tool."

The commercial I just watched with comedic foolishness and a so so party tune that featured disinterested or unimpressed citizens just didn't make me say lets go buy a BB.

As a matter of fact it may actually be a metaphor for whats wrong with whole RIM/BB thing.

The device like the truck full of idiots and speakers is out there in the market/ neighborhood doing something different from what the greater audience/ residents of the neighborhood are commonly seeing and they are not impressed with the exception of the one woman at the very end of the ad. AGAIN reinforcing the metaphor that despite the efforts BB only gets the attention of a minority of the market, leaving the rest wondering WTH?

That the majority of the people in the background are elderly people being confronted by a loud noisy and slapstick sort of presentation is a metaphor for the greater problem; that being that RIM, like the truck load of speakers in a sleepy bedroom community (suburb of NYC) is not pushing its self on on the correct audience.

Ultimately the ad actually highlights whats wrong, not whats right about getting into the BB nation.

[vdubwhat]

I watch only about 3 hours of TV a week. I see Apple,Samsung and carrier ads featuring Samsung products. Where are the BB ads. The last time I saw one was the Martinez Bros. ... wow that was bad. And before that the neon bikes one .. where others in the room wanted to see more of the bikes, found the product shot distracting and couldn't remember what it was for.

BB needs simple ads showing one or two features with narration that explains what is going on. Like the ICE ad with the kid trying to access his father's phone or the iCloud ad that clearly tells you what it does.

Where is the BB nmarriage proposal ad ... never seen it on TV. Sadly one person thought the bridge function allowed you to change channels on your TV rather than advance the slideshow on the PB.

[hankj25]

Bad. Really bad.

I have heard rumors my company is switching to Windows phones this fall. 2000 BB users worldwide. When I see advertising like this, executives leaving and product delays, I understand why.

Companies can always come back to BB, but I am still waiting for that first press release of one that actually does go back. Both MS and Apple are producing interface servers that provide the equivalent security needs that 90% of corporations need. My 9900 is a great device, but with no apps, it is the equivalent of an iPhone 3GS.

That block party will look just like the media and developer response to bb10.

End of an era. Once they start parsing the business into sellable units, RIM will be nothing more than a service provider.

[shaleem]

Said the second video is not available in my country.

[pantlesspenguin]

What you're suggesting is borderline fraud. Trick them into buying by making them think it is something it's not. Who cares what they think after they open the box. We've got their money.

You make the false assumption that this is how the iPhone gained success. Not true. The iPhone didn't have missing features that mattered in 2007. It didn't have all of the features it has today, nor all the features of some other phones. But some of those features like MMS were only needed because most people couldn't get real email with attachment on their phones.

You have to look at it in context. The people who bought the iPhone were extremely satisfied with their purchase. Every survey since the original iPhone has shown that customers are most satisfied with the iPhone/iPad. How are those satisfaction ratings for BB? You do not win a loyal following by tricking people into buying your crap. You do it by making and marketing a superior product that gives people the experience you promised. When is the last time RIM did that?

I think you missed my point. Take the iPhone example again. Remember the "Can your phone do that?" campaign? I could answer "yes" to most of those questions, and back then I had a crummy Sidekick. But Apple *made you think* that no other phone could do those things, and I know for a fact that people bought into that. I remember a facebook status from a friend: "Listening to music AND updating Facebook?? Is there anything my iPhone can't do??" Once I was standing outside of a bar having a smoke, and the owner who is a friend of mine came outside as well and he was doing something with his iPhone. He was so impressed that he showed me what he had just done (I can't remember what it was) and then I showed him that I could do the same thing on my Sidekick. He was crestfallen lol.

But is that kind of thing ENOUGH to get people to abandon the device they invested in? I think that's a matter of what's important to them. Say someone saw a commercial that really showcased all the features of BBM. They were sold, and they bought a blackberry for the BBM functionality. Soon, they realized that their new blackberry didn't have such and such a feature (for example, an app they frequently used). Is that RIM's marketing department's fault? All they did was showcase BBM. The buyer just ASSUMED that this app would be available for their new blackberry. It's something they just took for granted, or didn't think about when making their new purchase. I hardly think that counts as fraud, do you? Fraud would be more like showing a BB device playing content via a Netflix app, and someone buys a BB counting on this app, only for it not to be available.

[Economist101]

I think you missed my point. Take the iPhone example again. Remember the "Can your phone do that?" campaign? I could answer "yes" to most of those questions, and back then I had a crummy Sidekick.

Actually there were only two "can your phone do that" ads from Apple (here may have been more from AT&T), and they came in response to Verizon's attacks on AT&T following the release of the original Motorola Droid. The ads in question specifically cited the ability to use voice and data simultaneously, possibly Verizon's only real network "weakness." I'm not sure you can call those two ads a campaign, and the line wasn't repeated in any other Apple ads. In fact, the line was actually "Can your phone and your network do that?"

Also, though you may have been able to duplicate the items in those ads, their purpose wasn't to claim the iPhone could do things no other device could do, but rather pointing out things devices running on the Verizon network could not do.

There have since been similar ads created by AT&T and launched after the announcement of the Verizon iPhone. The thrust has been similar: Verizon's superior coverage comes at a cost (something that should already be obvious to anyone with a clue, but perhaps bears repeating).

[pantlesspenguin]

Actually there were only two "can your phone do that" ads from Apple (here may have been more from AT&T), and they came in response to Verizon's attacks on AT&T following the release of the original Motorola Droid. The ads in question specifically cited the ability to use voice and data simultaneously, possibly Verizon's only real network "weakness." I'm not sure you can call those two ads a campaign, and the line wasn't repeated in any other Apple ads. In fact, the line was actually "Can your phone and your network do that?"

Also, though you may have been able to duplicate the items in those ads, their purpose wasn't to claim the iPhone could do things no other device could do, but rather pointing out things devices running on the Verizon network could not do.

There have since been similar ads created by AT&T and launched after the announcement of the Verizon iPhone. The thrust has been similar: Verizon's superior coverage comes at a cost (something that should already be obvious to anyone with a clue, but perhaps bears repeating).

Oh yes, I know. I'm just explaining my experience with people I knew who honestly thought that no phone on the market could do thing that an iPhone could. Also, back then I had the Sidekick 3G on T-Mo, another GSM carrier that could indeed do data and voice simultaneously. I might just be mixing up my Apple campaigns in my mind where they showcase various features that my phone could also do. I wasn't trying to imply anything BAD about Apple, just citing an example of my idea of a successful ad campaign.

Kinda like the Mac vs PC commercials. I really don't know how successful those campaigns were, but I know I've seen more and more Macs out and about over the past couple years than I ever have. Is that a testament to those campaigns, or the fact that Apple is gaining more and more reputation as solid, high-quality devices? I can't say for sure. But apparently T-Mo thought they were so effective that they tried to copy those on a blatant attack on the iPhone.

Forgive my ramblings tonight. We're about to get pounded by tornadic storms, and when that happens I tend to drink a lot .

[[email protected]]

Forgive my ramblings tonight. We're about to get pounded by tornadic storms, and when that happens I tend to drink a lot .

Been following the weather on the news. Hope you're well.

[pantlesspenguin]

Been following the weather on the news. Hope you're well.

Thanks. So far so good. The main threat for my area is overnight. My old stomping grounds were in several places in central Kansas and there were several tornadoes close to "home" today :S.

[jonathon.94]

I love the Irony...

Before the Ads, everyone screamed for more advertising.
After the Ads, and while I do know they give the wrong message, now everyone says for RIM to stop Advertising.

[EdwardBlackberryHands]

Here is the problem. RIM does not know what direction it wants to go...Tools Not Toys...Commercial showing all the fun you can have...Amateur Hour is Over...They need to decide what they want to push and push it.

They can't decide where they want to go and all it's doing is confusing the customers

[lynxs_claw]

I thought it was very amusing and it actually kept my interest with the comedy.

From that perspective I thought is was very effective.

Sometimes it about getting the audience to watch.

Just my $0.02..

[aha]

Nah, I think RIM is missing the point again. At this point is not about showing the world what BB can do, but change the image of RIM as a company that is always late, always a few years behind, always missing the point.

When RIM or BB or PB surfaced in a conversation these days outside of Crackberry nation, what do you think is the first thing going through people's minds? A failed company, or even worse, an irrelevant company. I know we all feel differently and it's a little hush, but you know this is true.

What RIM need to do is to change this image (the cross dresser on a piano definitely won't help), not trying to defend their product feature by feature in those one minute long commercials.

[anthogag]

I think most of the posters here are missing the point, excluding our pet trolls of course.

Put this video in the proper context

It is not a commercial. It's just a video, like what CrackBerry Kevin does for different promotions. It's the BlackBerry Challenge Project...it's a couple of guys acting goofy

This is not a mainstream commercial

[vdubwhat]

Say what you will .. but I like it better than the cross-dressing one! Would still like a narrative to drive home the point of what you are seeing.

Foreign Playbook Commercial

[dandbj13]

I love the Irony...

Before the Ads, everyone screamed for more advertising.
After the Ads, and while I do know they give the wrong message, now everyone says for RIM to stop Advertising.

It's not really irony. It is more like a reality check. Imagine talking someone into singing on talent night. After many objections and adult beverages, they finally do. When they're done, you try to talk them into never doing that again because they are that bad at it. To paraphrase a comedian, with a voice like that, he'd better be one heck of a juggler.

If this is the best advertising RIM can do, they had better be one heck of a handset maker. There are plenty of successful businesses that do not advertise. Avon, for one. When RIM advertises, it is like them loading up a double barrel shotgun, taking careful aim, and blowing their foot off. Just make it stop.

[pillsy]

no no no no, THIS is how you make a cool viral advertising video



granted prob half the people shown are paid to be there, but its what works.

Half? Probably all. Did you see any fat people in the crowd? Nevertheless it was a fun commercial and well done.