[oldtimeBBaddict]

I'm surprised BlackBerry missed the opportunity to advertise during the Super Bowl. I was waiting for a surprise Priv commercial and it never came. The company still has about $2.3 billion in cash and a 30 second spot would have cost about $5-7 million (less than 1% of their cash holdings). The only valid reason would be the spots filled up and they couldn't get in.

It's because they are still reaping the benefits from the last spot on the Superbowl.

[crackberry_geek]

They don't advertise any other time but you'd expect them to advertise in the most expensive 30 second spot of the year?

Uhmmm... that's exactly what they've done. And with their proclivity to make the same mistakes over and over and over and over again... I'm kinda surprised it didn't happen... again.

[anon(9710735)]

I don't think splashing that kind of money to advertise BlackBerry is a good idea right now. Haven't you all witnessed the "intriguing" (best way I can put it) ads BlackBerry team put out for the Priv campaign? I seriously think BlackBerry needs new blood for the advertising team.

Posted via CB10

[Nate650]

"That kind of money?" They paid $425 million for Good! I think paying $5 million to reach an audience of 100 million is worth it. Assuming of course the ad is a good one.

Posted via CB10

[thurask]

Assuming of course the ad is a good one.

Now you're really pushing it.

[cribble2k]

It might have to be because BlackBerry doesn't have any products worth advertising.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[KemKev]

"That kind of money?" They paid $425 million for Good! I think paying $5 million to reach an audience of 100 million is worth it. Assuming of course the ad is a good one.

Doesn't matter how many time you say it, there were no compelling reasons for BBRY to have done an ad during the Super Bowl as it would not have changed their footprint in the American space/market. Time to move on....

[Superfly_FR]

Because with those USD 5 Mil. they can do much, much more efficient actions where they're supposed to perform.
The hidden (aka the efficient) part of what many would like to pop like toasts at breakfast on their TV screens and name "Marketing".
They've got tons of expenses in that area, like merging their recent acquisitions brands/message-image/sales forces/documentation into a compelling and understandable offering. They're moving (impressively) fast in that area (ex : latest signal about licensing model = 'no more, for real' perpetual license) and the budgets involved for training and documentation alone is massive.

I'm glad they didn't proceed "just for the beauty" of it.
Rational, that is.

[donnation]

Uhmmm... that's exactly what they've done. And with their proclivity to make the same mistakes over and over and over and over again... I'm kinda surprised it didn't happen... again.

Actually thats a great point. I'm surprised they didn't pay $10 million for a 60 second ad.

[bakron1]

Actually thats a great point. I'm surprised they didn't pay $10 million for a 60 second ad.

Just a thought here, how about taking the 10 million they would have used for a super bowl commercial and hire some "Factory Reps" and go out into the field and do some seminars on their products at the retailers end. I would gladly do it here in the USA where the brand has been mostly forgotten.

[donnation]

Just a thought here, how about taking the 10 million they would have used for a super bowl commercial and hire some "Factory Reps" and go out into the field and do some seminars on their products at the retailers end. I would gladly do it here in the USA where the brand has been mostly forgotten.

Whoa, don't talk logic, that makes too much sense.

[jbfair728]

Because... $$$$ and the last time they did it, well... we ended up with this..

So we won't advertise this time because our marketing staff back then were a bunch of shmuks?!! Who thinks like this? If you screwed up last time, get your act together and get it done right! A killer ad would've placed the BlackBerry brand in front of millions of folks who otherwise have no clue that the manufacturer of the ancient Bold still exists.

Posted via CB app on my BlackBerry Classic

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Based on what I saw in this years batch of Super Bowel ads.... that 2013 ad is looking pretty good.

I think it is becoming clear that Chen's "focus" was never on staying in the hardware business long term.

[RichardHBB]

Just a thought here, how about taking the 10 million they would have used for a super bowl commercial and hire some "Factory Reps" and go out into the field and do some seminars on their products at the retailers end. I would gladly do it here in the USA where the brand has been mostly forgotten.

Seminars on what...Android? Android buyers (and the people that sell to them) already know how to use it.

Richard

[randall2580]

I chuckle as I remember back to 2013 and what a hot topic that ad was here at CrackBerry.

Still, the CrackBerry faithful posted every poll they could find "what was the best ad" and was there voting it up. I believe just about everywhere it was #1

In that way BlackBerry probably got some value they didn't expect out of that ad.

[David Tyler]

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Not Albert Einstein

Hallelujah -- at last, someone correctly acknowledging Einstein never uttered that bit of nonsense.

[pantlesspenguin]

Now you're really pushing it.

This exactly. Some of the most memorable BlackBerry commercials (in my mind) weren't put out by BlackBerry, but by the carriers. For example:







I'll give them that this one was pretty neat, but I think it made people want a glowing bike more than a BlackBerry!



But...one of the worst commercials was an AT&T commercial:

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Now carriers seemed to have moved on to selling coloured balls.....

[Nate650]

Based on what I saw in this years batch of Super Bowel ads.... that 2013 ad is looking pretty good.

I think it is becoming clear that Chen's "focus" was never on staying in the hardware business long term.

Why make the effort for the Priv and Vienna then? To make people think they tried and didn't give up too soon?

Posted via CB10

[early2bed]

A more relevant debate about advertising will be about why the sponsorship of the Mercedes AMG Petronas appears to have expired as BlackBerry is no longer listed as a sponsor on the team website (MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS - Home). At $12M per year (signed in 2003), one year sponsorship cost about the same as one minute of Super Bowl ad time.

[Rustybronco]

I think it is becoming clear that Chen's "focus" was never on staying in the hardware business long term.

The Priv is being used to transition companies from BB as a device Mfg to BB as a software provider. Android is the test platform.

[ljfong]

Why make the effort for the Priv and Vienna then? To make people think they tried and didn't give up too soon?

Posted via CB10

Yep, to make people think they tried and didn't give up too soon. Chen is smart like that.

[sentimentGX4]

The PRIV is old news. I'm sure that BBRY is focusing on the next smartphone, if one exists.

[jbfair728]

The PRIV is old news. I'm sure that BBRY is focusing on the next smartphone, if one exists.

No, the entire focus is now on not doing a super bowl commercial, because the last commercial 3 years ago flopped.

Posted via CB app on my BlackBerry Classic

[crackberry_geek]

So we won't advertise this time because our marketing staff back then were a bunch of shmuks?!! Who thinks like this? If you screwed up last time, get your act together and get it done right! A killer ad would've placed the BlackBerry brand in front of millions of folks who otherwise have no clue that the manufacturer of the ancient Bold still exists.

Posted via CB app on my BlackBerry Classic

This ^^^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^ times 100000000000

The whole idea that we screwed up before so we're never ever going to advertise again is stupid, Stupid, STUPID!!!!!