Watch the Zune Ads

[Darius Wey]

For those of you in the US who tend not to switch on the tele, or for those of you outside the US who are unfortunate enough to miss out on all this Zune action, here's your chance to watch the ads. They may seem a little odd at first, but if you consider who the target audience is, they make sense (though, I admit the whole limb gnawing in The Ballad of Lion and Gazelle is a little strange). Best of all, it's a welcome break from all those silhouette ads that we're used to.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G-AJrnJNZb4" name="movie" /><param value="transparent" name="wmode" /><embed width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G-AJrnJNZb4"></embed><br /><br />More after the break.<br /><br /><div style="page-break-after: always;"><span style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></div><br /></object><object width="425" height="350"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4KwiBwT-0nc" name="movie" /><param value="transparent" name="wmode" /><embed width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4KwiBwT-0nc"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="350"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6GnjO4B-Nn0" name="movie" /><param value="transparent" name="wmode" /><embed width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6GnjO4B-Nn0"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="350"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FyJWZq_fq5w" name="movie" /><param value="transparent" name="wmode" /><embed width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FyJWZq_fq5w"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="350"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KktcSIGh1oc" name="movie" /><param value="transparent" name="wmode" /><embed width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KktcSIGh1oc"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="350"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/07RUtej79Iw" name="movie" /><param value="transparent" name="wmode" /><embed width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/07RUtej79Iw"></embed></object>

[Dyvim]

Meh... a little too South Park for me.

Besides, I guess I don't get the whole sharing thing. Now what would really be social would be taking off your damn headphones and having some real human interaction with the person next to you - like a conversation maybe (or at least acknowledging their presence) - instead of beaming them a song while otherwise ignoring them in your own little techno-bubble. I love my DAP, but I realize it's just another tech toy that helps isolate us from each other. Now if you want to be social by sharing music instead of (or in addition to) talking, seems like you could just get a boombox or a portable speaker set for your DAP or - gasp- a $5 headphone splitter from RadioShack (if you really must both listen to music via headphones). All of these solutions wouldn't rely on your fellow human possessing the same DAP as you.

/RANT OFF!

[Janak Parekh]

My opinion: these are terrible ads. They either are just way off the wall (e.g., the first one) or take way too long in introducing the unit, or are so utterly generic that they're not going to capture attention. The third ad is the only one I'd consider "okay" amongst the bunch. You want to target the fast channel-surfing twenty-year-old demographic. The iPod ads are iconic and distinctive, and even after watching them countless times I still immediately notice them. These... meh, I don't want to see any of them ever again.

I'm no ad professional so take all of that with a grain of salt, but I'm speaking as a still-technically-20-year-old-something, at least. ;)

--janak

[Sage]

Advertising is such a weird beast. There are some companies that always produce very "cool" adverts (Sony, Guinness, Apple) and there are some companies just can't seem to get it right no matter how much money they spend. Sadly, Microsoft falls into the latter category. Even the Xbox 360 ads (in the UK, at least) are really cliched and pedestrian.

[Jason Dunn]

I've just finished watching them all, and I quite like them and believe they'll resonate well with the target demographic.

[Janak Parekh]

Advertising is such a weird beast. There are some companies that always produce very "cool" adverts (Sony, Guinness, Apple) and there are some companies just can't seem to get it right no matter how much money they spend. Sadly, Microsoft falls into the latter category. Even the Xbox 360 ads (in the UK, at least) are really cliched and pedestrian. Dunno about the UK ones, but the Xbox ads here have been pretty decent, actually.

I've just finished watching them all, and I quite like them and believe they'll resonate well with the target demographic. Hah! So we directly disagree on this one. :p It's time for "sit back and wait and see what happens"...

--janak

[Phillip Dyson]

I have to agree with some of the other comments. I found every ad after the first one completely boring. Matter I didn't even finish the last two.

[lt.milo]

I don't think that the ads are terrible, they really show the community aspect of the zune. I do wish, however, that they showed more of the zunes features and why it is a better choice than an ipod.

[Jason Dunn]

I do wish, however, that they showed more of the zunes features and why it is a better choice than an ipod.

Most "geeks" buy based on features (hard drive size, screen resolution, etc.) while most normal people buy based on benefits. Microsoft knows that, from a hardware point of view, the Zune isn't anything very special (other than the WiFi). I think the commercials are meant to drill in the idea that the Zune is a social music device, perhaps the first of it's kind, and they want people to learn more about the device. A commercial saying "Look, it's got a 30 GB hard drive, a 3 inch screen..." wouldn't serve much purpose.

[Janak Parekh]

Most "geeks" buy based on features (hard drive size, screen resolution, etc.) while most normal people buy based on benefits. Microsoft knows that, from a hardware point of view, the Zune isn't anything very special (other than the WiFi). I think the commercials are meant to drill in the idea that the Zune is a social music device, perhaps the first of it's kind, and they want people to learn more about the device. A commercial saying "Look, it's got a 30 GB hard drive, a 3 inch screen..." wouldn't serve much purpose. By the same token, many of the ads deemphasize the player. When I see teens frolicking around, I'm thinking of a jeans ad, not of a music player. One thing Apple does right is that, with their ads, the players are front and center. "Welcome to the Social", at least to me, doesn't brand a music player, and for the public that doesn't know about Zune music sharing, it must be even more confusing.

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

"Welcome to the Social", at least to me, doesn't brand a music player, and for the public that doesn't know about Zune music sharing, it must be even more confusing.

It's entirely possible (and quite likely now that I think about it) that this first round of marketing is just about creating brand awareness, giving consumers a "heads up" about the Zune...not the hardware, not even the music service, just the social aspect of the Zune. If these are the same ads running six months from now, I might be worried, but I think for now they're just meant to get people curious.

[bohemian517]

definitely original, i kinda like them

good music too

[WyattEarp]

I watched all these ads and IMO they are all bad for many reasons I won't discuss here. It's seems more about the lifestyle than age.

[Janak Parekh]

I watched all these ads and IMO they are all bad for many reasons I won't discuss here. It's seems more about the lifestyle than age. If you're implying the very MTV-like atmosphere, I can't help but agree. I find the Zune software installer background shots even more disturbing. (What are those kids doing in some of those? :confused:)

--janak

[Dyvim]

Here's what the competition is up to with their ad campaign:

new iPod Shuffle ad (http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/ads/)

Definitely targeting a different audience, but you gotta give props to their ad company for slick looking, eye-catching commercials.