By Don’t get me wrong – the iDon’t Commercials had the whole interwebz talking and the Stealth Bomber commercials were a great little tease – but I’m much more enjoying three new commercials that Verizon has just launched for the Motorola Droid. Before you call me crazy, let me explain.
The iDon’t and Stealth Bomber commercials were very abstract and failed to identify a single device or discuss specific details about the Motorola Droid. While they did a GREAT job at drumming up buzz and curiousity, they did little to inform the masses. By the November 6th launch date, you and I knew exactly what was arriving at Verizon Wireless but the average consumer probably had no clue. Shouldn’t the timeframe have been slightly adjusted to accommodate ad spots that actually lobbied for the specific device rather than pushing an intangible concept that “something cool is coming”?
Had these more straight forward commercials launched a week ago its very likely that the long lines we were expecting would have been a reality. Then again, perhaps that is something Verizon was trying to avoid – feed the informed and starving Android public immediately before telling everyone else they should be hungry. Stock the stores with a healthy shipment of Droids and avoid irritated customers spending hours twiddling thumbs.
But any way you look at it, the more informative and straight forward commercials are finally here… and they’re awesome:
Of the 5 commercials (iDon’t, Stealth Bomber, and these 3) which is your favorite?
[Via EngadgetMobile]
The iDon’t commercial is still full of win. It’s so clearly targeted at geeks and even developers, who are exactly the people you need to make happy at this point to increase the number of great apps for Android.
I concur, To really make Android a viable platform we need more developers.
What the crap is up with that last one?!?
I thought the Droid was customizable and yet we see custom cell phone cases being smashed!
I guess they aren’t targeting female buyers at all.
I probably like the Droid: Navigation commercial the best (despite the mechanical voice), but the 1st teaser was really good too.
The commercial showcasing the turn-by-turn is pretty awesome but I think most people that care about GPS already have one.
My favorite is the Steath bomber one prolly :)
awsome – just and simply awesome!
@ David Shellabarger: I am pretty sure those were iPhone cases. The target demographic for the Droid is Males 18-35, so they want to make it as manly as possible, which is pretty much what that last commercial is all about. And to top it off, not only were they custom iPhone cases, but they were GIRLY iPhone cases. That sends the dual message, iPhone girly, Droid manly, and crushes it.
Are they 4 real with this? A robot phone? People will sell anything and make up lies to sell it. Now we’re given something that they claim to be a robot. I see a consumer lawsuit coming, robot is wildly over stating it.
Yawn….
@ Mathew Lenz: I concur, that Stealth bomber commercial is the best by far… especially the final line; “Hhhwhat in the hell is that”?
FINALLY someone puts out videos of the phone actually being used. The G1 and MyTouch commercials infuriated me because they do not show the phone actually being used or the features they have. Admittedly the MyTouch actually showed the home screens a couple times but it seems more geared at selling cases then what the phone can do.
Wether you like the iPhone or not the fact remains their commercials have been better simply because they explain what the phone can do while showing you in a brief commercial.
All I can say is it’s about time!
The first video is the best because it very clearly shows android 2.0/droid’s killer feature which the iphone lacks in any shape or form, really showing “doesn’t” and “does.”
That being said, I loved the over-the-top-manly-RARGH-ness of the third ad.
The first two were the best. Not sure the last one showed enough of the phone.
I think the first ad-clip (Droid: Navigation) is the best of the bunch.
Instead of what it is *not*, this clip is specific about what ‘droid’ *does*, with Google Nav as an example.
I love the voice ! It makes me smile :) Smile at everything that … Doesn’t… Also like the catchphrase “in a world of…”
I’ve enjoyed all the commercials that have played locally.. have not seen any of the 3 above… bought wife the new Motorola Droid… she loves it. If you haven’t seen all the new Verizon Christmas commercials pounding AT%T they are worth the search on YouTube… i like the Elfs on the assembly line the most..
Granted the iDont commercial was pure awesomeness. However these 3 ads were the shit. I will be emailing these to everyone.
Can only assume those of you with time to watch these commercials didnt get your pr-ordered MW2 come through the door a day early :-)
Much as I love reading about Android (If still waiting to hear when Droid comes to the UK), MW2 is keeping me going in the meantime – Graphics are incredible – Look nearly as nice as Droid does!!!!!
“A bareknuckle bucket of DOES.”
Really?
Haha! Hilariously awesome.
In LA I saw several DroidDoes billboards this weekend. One read, “Bare-knuckled bucket of Does.” Didn’t really understand that one (even after video 3!)
Still, none of these latest three features the physical keyboard: one of the initially super-appealing features of the Droid over the iPhone. I’ve had my Droid since Friday, and have greatly preferred the physical keyboard over the onscreen one.
I like the boxing one the best
I wish my Droid was as fast as the first video. Fast none the less!
I think their attempts to advertising this is great. The new commercials and iDon’t have me tied but like you said “…very abstract and failed to identify a single device or discuss specific details about the Motorola Droid.” These new commercials do, although they are short and to the point, I’d think it would be great if they pointed out the word “free”, as we all know everyone likes to hear that. Still good and decent, I just wish I had Verizon so I could buy a Droid right now…
Now we just need these on YouTube so I can watch them on my Droid….
I like the bombers best. i have been using Microcrap Smartphones & PocketPC/Mobile devices for 8 years… i dont really care if my DROID can beat an iPhone or not I’m just glad that Google/Motorola/Verizon have listened to all of the disenfranchised Windows Mobile users and made a device that makes them completely useless/obsolete. Maybe now a well placed class-action lawsuite will expose the chink in Microsofts armor that will allow our government to finally be able to topple the douchebags… or at the very least split them up. ALL HAIL THE DEATH OF BUGGY OS’s. … and NO MORE (battery killing) ACTIVESYNC!
i think your looking at it the wrong way…. they told people something big was coming so that they would come into the store to see whats up.. and then once they had them in their clutches they could let the salespeople win them over (the phone sells itself, especially compared to the rest of verizons smartphone lineup)
I’m a fan of “a bucketful of Does” myself. Maybe not the commercial, but the line needs to be used more.
I’ve been trying to figure out why the adverts are so masculine (like thelee said in #10 above, “over-the-top-manly-RARGH-ness”, LOL), and I think the reason is that they are not focused on people who already have the iPhone. Rather, they are looking at people in more, I dunno, down-to-earth ? parts of USA who perhaps have never had a smartphone or have not yet bought into the Apple ethos. It would appear from the 3G coverage maps in the ads that there are tons of places where Verizon’s 3G coverage trounces AT&T’s, where smartphone ownership is perhaps still low.
As for the new Verizon ads for Christmas, it looks to me as if they are trying to counter the rumoured Christmas offer of $99 iPhone 3GS at AT&T. This will put doubt in people’s minds as to whether it’s worth it, despite the low price, when the coverage is so bad.
I think that the first one was the best, it sent shivers down my spine when i heard it the first time, at the robot bit.
They first two are good becuase they shock you,
the rest are more functional but dont catch your attention as much, and that last one, i could have done a better job!
Im in year 8 at high school!
I want a droid no matter what the commercials but they dont have them or the milestone in Oz yet!
That last ad is idiotic. Why would any company want to alienate half the potential market?
Want to sell mostly to males? Fine, do it CLEVERLY. You dont have to almost insult the female audience.
“Semi functioning brat vanity” LOL gotta love it in that third one myself.
Look, I am sure there are even females that would like a straight up purposeful phone instead of one that is all about its image.
I mean, my wife likes the droid..she says she likes how it feels solidly built. Or was that me ..LOL :P
I had wondered the same thing about the timing of these commercials, and why they didn’t start this campaign several weeks or so earlier, so they could have told you more by the time the launch came.
But watching how it is playing out, it seems (to me), that as is pointed out later, in doing the campaign the way they are, they are targeting “Xmas” rather than the actual launch. The inital salvo was to get the geeks, the hard core, the gadget people. And now with them in the stable (and without pissing anybody off with long lines or activation snafus” they can continue the campaign and try and drive people to the phone over the next 2 months.
Others (read Pre, Storm and a junkyard full of other iPhone “killers”) have tried to dethrone Apple and failed miserably with their one shot and done attempts. Verizon seems intent on building on this and actually “doing it right.” Whether they will or not, remains to be seen, but they look to be heading in the right direction, whether or not you agree with the “not targeting women” They have a plan, and they are executing (arguably well) which is nice to see for anybody that believes in the Android platform.
These are great commercials. I was really ticked at the stealth bomber one – it just seemed like you didn’t really get a feel for what it was advertising. It set you up with the “what the heck is this?” at the start of the ad but never delivered a punch.
The iDon’t ad was fantastic. It challenged the iPhone straight on and worked to inject doubt. Finally a company wasn’t afraid to say “hey, the iPhone isn’t the end-all, be-all” with confidence.
These three ads deliver. People wanted to know what makes the Droid different. The first one did a great job of that. The second, was good, but I wish it could have emphasized the higher res screen a little more (but I’m not sure how). The third was a branding ad with a great tag line (“bareknuckled bucket of does”).
As far as alienating women, I’m not sure these ads would appeal to women, but I don’t think it would alienate or insult them either. How many women do you know with bedazzled phones? And are they the kind of professional that can afford this kind of phone with an expensive two year data contract? Can you imagine being in a meeting and someone pulls out a plastic bead encrusted phone? This phone is not aimed at preteens.
Having said that – I do believe the Droid is very masculine in design and could turn off certain demographics because of that. My guess is Verizon/Motorola/Google believe that early adopters are probably primarily male and that had an affect on the design. My other thought is that more iPhone-like androgynous designs will follow later.
Although not a “Droid” commercial per say, don’t forget the unbelievably funny other new Verizon commercial that takes a jab at AT&T
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JgrBtn8XdU
I liked the “crushing of vanity”. The phone as an accessory, as a color-matching accoutrement to your latest outfit is silly. It’s a tool people.
I’m so glad we finally have something that isn’t androgynous.
I like the first one the most. It tells me that this is the ‘Amiga’ phone.
Guys, think about it. Males watch T.V. Women don’t pay attention to commercials LOLZ…. this is a joke btw, though possibly viable
Also, maybe they want to say this phone will not rely on accessories… whatever
In other news:
Fujitsu F-02B: Described as a “jewelry quality” phone with a snap-on perfume holder for “an air of elegance.”
I don’t have a favorite ad but I am digging this no pulled punches ad campaign. Targeting the iPhone directly with the Droid does campaign and undermining its carrier with “There’s a map for that” ads.
“You need a robot phone”
“Bare-knuckled bucket of Does.”
WHO IS THE VOICE OVER?! omg i KNOW his voice and its KILLING ME. i just can’t place it, and i can place ANY celebrity voice! AH! help!
NEVERMIND! i JUST placed it- james van der beek! AH! now i will sleep. thank GOD. <3
Omg thank you for saying van der beek…been trying to figure it out for weeks and I too think I can identify any celeb voice! :)
No it is james lafferty from one tree hill
No, it’s definitely James Vander Beek! Thank you SO much for figuring that out! It was driving me nuts!!!
The voice over is done by Gene Simmons.
The voice over for the majority of the commercials ( the “when the no limit….. ” is …..Lance Henrickson. He was the droid/ synthetic human, Bishop, in the Aliens movies.
MM