If you’re like every other single human being on the face of the planet (save for those who work for advertising companies), you hate commercials. Even more-so, you hate commercials that get obnoxiously loud and defy the physics of the common volume button. We as citizens have cried out for help over the course of many years. And now, victory is near.
The Senate passed CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) back in early October. And now, the bill is on its way to the President’s desk to be officially signed into law. The bill as it is written states that commercials cannot be any louder than the average loudness of the proceeding program. If you stop and think about it, it’s really quite sad there had to be an official law in the first place to deal with something so trivial. And yet I’m eternally grateful. The only sad thing is that advertisers have up to a year to implement technology to quiet commercials when incorporating said technology probably takes all of 10 minutes. Nevertheless, I am pleased.
Creativity is one thing geeks alike certainly don’t lack. When boredom sets in, our minds can be downright resourceful and clever. Take for example, this 8-bit suit created by Kiel Johnson and Klai Brown out of more than 4,000 foam blocks for a Toshiba commercial. It may seem a little over the top and “extreme” for something as short as a commercial. To each his own. I think its mighty sweet.
Watch Hulu much? I partake of the online greatness via Boxee on my Mac and have all but moved away from traditional cable. The few shows I watch I’m fortunate enough to be able to find via Boxee and Hulu. Amid the economy downturn, Hulu, like many other online media companies, started incorporating advertisements in several different forms. Most apparent however are the video ads (read: commercials) that play either before your show or in multiple chunks broken down into 30-second clips. So which one is winning out with consumers?
Shocker: Hulu users prefer the longer 1-2 minute commercial at the beginning of their Hulu viewing instead of the smaller, more frequent breaks 2 : 1 — this is according to Hulu CEO Jason Kilar. I say “shocker” with sarcasm as I personally see it as more seamless and less intrusive to get the advertising done and out of the way in the beginning and only makes sense that end users prefer it more. That way I can enjoy whatever it is that I’m watching in its entirety all the way through and uninterrupted.
Seeing as how customers actually prefer this pre-show advertisement block, I’d like to see how long it lasts. I mean, generally when we consumers attach ourselves to a particular media/business/online model, those in charge tend to side with the things that makes them the most money — not want consumers actually want. We shall see how it progresses…
I’m interested though to see what you guys and gals think — longer and early or short and sporadic — in regards to Hulu ads. Leave your thoughts in the divinely crafted boxes below.
One would think that a multi-billion dollar company would have the intelligence and know how on pushing out clever and insightful ads showcasing the companies talents and achievements. At the very least, if hiring an ad company, one could be led to believe that the ad company would at least dot it’s eyes and cross it’s t’s. In the case of the latest secret agent-esque Microsoft Office commercials, someone missed a couple of i’s and t’s.
While Office is the main deal behind the ad below, having Microsoft loot throughout seems like a no brainer. Apparently, BlackBerries are better secret agent tools than Microsoft’s mobile offering if we’re to take the commercial seriously. At the end of the day, it seems to just be a careless oversight. Well, at least I would hope it was an oversight as any intentional showcasing of your competitors products can’t be good for business.
And so I bring you the latest marketing flub of 2010: The Microsoft Office/BlackBerry conundrum.
You know, after all the flack that AT&T has gotten for boasting of a POS network and Apple for stubbornly sticking with them for the last 2-1/2 years, you have to admire AT&T’s determination. Almost. AT&T’s Luke Wilson ads that have making been getting some pretty frequent air time on TV go to prove how terrible is at making commercials in their defense. They’re pretty much just as terrible as the Microsoft/Seinfeld duo. However, when AT&T simply can’t go on to put together a decent commercial to save their lives, lo and behold here comes Apple with two new commercials of their own defending the network and their choice of network. The main gist of the commercials is to tout AT&T’s biggest advantage over Verizon — AT&T’s 3G network allows voice and data at the same time. Mind you, Verizon’s EVDO network while speedy and pretty much everywhere does not. That means all you Droid owners (myself included) will have to hang up to check that web page or download that feed. I’ll admit it was a flesh wound that hasn’t yet affected me but there’s always a possibility. Still, I’d much rather have a dependable network and have a minor inconvenience such as hanging up a phone call before doing any data related tasks than not being able to do anything at all.
So in the end, how do the ads fair? Well, they somehow manage to put their Apple sugarcoating on the cold hard truth: You may be able to use voice and data at the same time but good luck getting a fucking signal even 100 yards from our damn towers…
First off, if you skipped the commercial above, go back and watch it. Ok, watched it? Great. Grand. Good. So let’s just pick this apart shall we?
Nation’s Fastest 3G network: Debatable. You have to be able to get a signal first. And even then, many large cities with pristine signal quality suffer from grossly overtaxed networks.
Winner: Draw
Talk and surf at the same time: Correct. AT&T does hold a big advantage over VZW’s network by allowing users to talk and use data at the same time. VZW’s CDMA based network simply can’t compete.
Winner: AT&T
Most Popular Smartphones: Debatable. Though AT&T does often get more and better phones. VZW usually receives second rate smartphones and overhyped feature phones that used to all come neutered. But VZW’s recent embracing of more open technologies and buddying up with Android are looking up.
Winner: AT&T by a hair, but VZW is quickly closing the gap
Access to over 100,000 apps: Want misleading? Come and get a big steaming pile of it right here. Simply stating that AT&T offers users (read: users in general — with no mention of the iPhone or App Store) is far more misleading than VZW’s network coverage maps. Sure a simple little text blurb at the bottom about some apps being “device specific” is displayed. But if Verizon’s ads — detailing how 2G coverage is available outside of 3G areas but not shown — are misleading, how are AT&T’s not? The iPhone is the only platform to have over 100,000 apps. The BlackBerry platform has it’s share and Symbian devices have a nice little niche market. And the featurephones — don’t even get me started. Another prime example of AT&T failing to capitalize on anything besides the iPhone…
Winner: Draw. While the number of Apps available to AT&T iPhone customers is huge, AT&T is simply throwing around a big number to woo over potential customers. **In other news, cookware retailers announce strange shortage of black pots….
Has a “V” in the name: AT&T has run out of lies to spew and truths to distort. Witty attempt goes here.
While VZW’s ads were pretty much spot, some (misfit’s we’re looking at you) were kind of corny. AT&T’s on the other hand? Well, if they haven’t fired those responsible, now would be a good time to do so. So who wins? Neither. Figure that? It’s simple: AT&T needs to upgrade their network and Verizon needs to continue getting awesome phones. Draw it is.
It can be recorded that Windows 7 does actually have me liking the whole Windows ecosystem again. Albeit not as much as I like Snow Leopard, still, Microsoft finally made right in the OS department with their upcoming release. However, just because I like their product doesn’t mean I want to hear about it or get constant reminders that it exists. Case in point: A new, Microsoft sponsored, Windows 7 horn tooting Family guy dubbed “Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show”. The episode will feature some subtle and other not so subtle hints about how quick, easy, and fast Windows 7 is to use and install. Super. This episode is going to be a real winner I can tell. Microsoft hasn’t exactly ever been “cool” in the commercial department. This new approach of implementing popular TV shows into advertising won’t help. Sorry to say, Family Guy, you lost some respect in my book.
(Per Digital Daily)
PETER: Remember that one time I installed Windows 7?
[CUT TO: Griffin study, Peter is installing Windows 7. It is clearly simple, fast and easy to use]
PETER: Yeah, it was so simple, fast and easy to use.
Wow, I can’t wait! /sarcasm. Sadly, this won’t be Family Guy’s first lowering of standards to make a quick advertising buck. After the Microsoft special, viewers can look forward to a special Google/Adsense themed episode later on down the road. Doesn’t anyone feel even a little saddened that corporate America is invading our personal lives and destroying them?
In case you’re wondering, the new episode will air November 8th at 8:30 PM EST and PST. Should be a real riveting experience… Digital Daily
While I use an iPhone, the honeymoon phase is long gone. While the OS is still my favorite in terms of speed, ease of use, and eye candy, the hardware, BS policies of both Apple and AT&T, and god awful coverage where I live mean I’m looking elsewhere. Still, I more or less like the little guy. Some of you however are sick and tired of hearing about Apple this and iPhone that. You wish they’d both drop of the face of the planet in a fiery ball of death. The day you can wake up, go through the day and long into the night and never hear “there’s an app for that” is the day you shave your head, join a monastery and donate your life savings to *insert favorite charity here*. Ok…maybe not that extreme, but you get what I mean. For all of you….this video, is for you.
Get online with best value broadband & home phone bundles.
Choose between our Essentials or Plus packages -
both with introductory offers - & benefit from our ground-breaking HomeSafe online protection.
Compare our broadband and phone bundles with our competitors.
We think our Essentials and Plus packages are great value -
see for yourself by checking the breakdown of costs and features versus our biggest competitors.
When it comes to marketing your product it's essential to understand the visitor patterns in your shop. Heatmap software allows you to do just that by producing reports and visualizations that help you make the best decisions for your business.
If you’re like every other single human being on the face of the planet (save for those who work for advertising companies), you hate commercials. Even more-so, you hate commercials that get obnoxiously loud and defy the physics of the common volume button. We as citizens have cried out for help over the course of many years. And now, victory is near. 
You know, after all the flack that AT&T has gotten for boasting of a POS network and Apple for stubbornly sticking with them for the last 2-1/2 years, you have to admire AT&T’s determination. Almost. AT&T’s Luke Wilson ads that have making been getting some pretty frequent air time on TV go to prove how terrible is at making commercials in their defense. They’re pretty much just as terrible as the Microsoft/Seinfeld duo. However, when AT&T simply can’t go on to put together a decent commercial to save their lives, lo and behold here comes Apple with two new commercials of their own defending the network and their choice of network. The main gist of the commercials is to tout AT&T’s biggest advantage over Verizon — AT&T’s 3G network allows voice and data at the same time. Mind you, Verizon’s EVDO network while speedy and pretty much everywhere does not. That means all you Droid owners (myself included) will have to hang up to check that web page or download that feed. I’ll admit it was a flesh wound that hasn’t yet affected me but there’s always a possibility. Still, I’d much rather have a dependable network and have a minor inconvenience such as hanging up a phone call before doing any data related tasks than not being able to do anything at all.
