22
Apr
image

Design: How Should Google Advertise Glass? Here's One Idea

Posted by in Design, Editorials, Features, Glass, Google

A lot of people are excited for Google Glass right now. The first Explorer units began rolling into the happy embrace of those selected for the exclusive pilot program just last week, and we've already seen a ton of feedback. Combined with decent pre-release coverage, it's clear that Glass has the potential to shake things up once more people have it in their hands. Of course press coverage and user excitement only form part of the story. Another critical piece is advertisement and marketing.

Public image and privacy concerns aside, Glass will need to win the hearts of consumers, in a way Google has striven in the past to capture hearts through advertisements for the Nexus family.

12
Apr
squarebeek

HTC's Bachelorette Spoof, Featuring The One And James Van Der Beek, May Be The Best Worst Phone Commercial Ever

Posted by in HTC, News, One

HTC needs to get the message out about the One. This probably isn't the best way to go about it.

The 3.5-minute ad on Funny Or Die has some genuine guffaws, but they're buried in awkward pauses, cringe-inducing costumes, and James Van Der Beek's grizzled chin. The Beek has been making a quiet, enjoyable comeback lately (see his meta self-performance on Apartment 23), but this baffling display of wannabe viral marketing can only hurt both his and HTC's image.

THE BEEK

It starts off as a fairly standard Bachelorette riff, "The One With James van Der Beek," featuring the requisite cheesy backdrops, improbably hot young lady, and smarmy, charming host.

06
Apr
image

Video: This Is How Facebook Will Advertise Home And The HTC First

Posted by in Android OS, Applications, First, Videos

As we all know, Facebook had an announcement earlier this week. The most pervasive social media outlet on the planet announced Facebook Home – a product that essentially amounts to a highly integrated launcher for your Android phone. It also announced the HTC First, a phone optimized for Home, offering a fully Facebook-ed experience.

The launcher is actually pretty nice – features like the unfortunately-named Chat Heads are almost enough to sell this writer on the idea of making an Android hamburger out of a phone, with Facebook Home serving as the top bun (or maybe the lettuce). The key to its success, though, will be advertising.

11
Mar
image

Google Chrome Uploads 'Now Everywhere' One-Minute Spot, Reminds Viewers 'Chrome Has You Covered'

Posted by in Google, News, Videos

I've been using (and loving) Google's Chrome browser daily on my laptop, desktop, phone, and tablet for quite some time now. Heck, I'd probably install it on my toaster if it were possible. And despite any of the complaints I routinely hear about Chrome's mobile iteration (ahem, where's the "full screen" option, again?), there are a few great reasons I keep it on all my devices.

Touching on each and every one of those, the Google Chrome YouTube channel today uploaded a one-minute ad spot touting the fact that Chrome is "For Everyone, Now Everywhere," and can enhance your life with auto-filled addresses, remembered passwords, and cross-device sync.

26
Feb
image

[Video] Sony Invites Us To Make New Memories With The Xperia Z In Nostalgic New Commercial

Posted by in Sony, Videos, Xperia Z, Xperia ZL

There are a few surefire ways to get straight to a consumer's heart, and one of them is nostalgia. People love to be reminded of the good old days, and Sony has done just that, uploading a new Xperia Z spot that will take viewers back to the moon mission, the Berlin wall, roller skating on the beach, and playing video games, all with Sony products.

The ad then continues with a young couple joining in a Holi celebration using the Xperia Z, showing that Sony hasn't abandoned its iconic role in capturing or enhancing your most memorable moments. The video finishes by showing that, after running through plumes of colored powder and revelry, you can simply rinse the phone clean – after all, it's waterproof.

03
Feb
rudd

Watch Seth Rogen And Paul Rudd Hate Each Other For 4 Minutes In Samsung's Extended Superbowl Commercial

Posted by in News, Samsung

Reactions have been mixed to Samsung's somewhat understated Superbowl big game commercial, featuring comedy B-listers Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd. If you couldn't get enough of the pair trading jabs while pitching a meta Galaxy ad, Samsung has posted the full 4:40 cut to YouTube. The ad follows the plot and pacing of the shorter version, but there's a few extra punch lines in there. Just in case ninety seconds of middle-aged verbal jousting wasn't enough for you.

Samsung seems to be the only consumer electronics brand interested in the advertising world's biggest stage this year. Sadly, there's no reveal of new hardware headed for the US market or anywhere else.

02
Feb
image

Samsung Posts Full Two-Minute 'Next Big Thing' Promo Ahead Of 'The Big Game' [Video]

Posted by in Samsung, Videos

A few days ago, Samsung published their "El Plato Supreme" promo video in which Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen try to develop a pitch for Samsung's don't-call-it-the-Super-Bowl ad. Rounding out the story, a full two-minute video was uploaded earlier today which shows how the two ended up working together on the pitch, throwing in a few more self-aware marketing gags along the way.

In the deliciously meta ad, Rogen and Rudd bicker over who's "the next big thing" before finding out that they're working together not in the ad, but on the pitch. Their meeting with Saul Goodman (I mean Bob Odenkirk) covers topics from diapers to crowd-sourcing to space travel before LeBron James abruptly joins the meeting by way of a Galaxy tablet, suggesting he make a cameo in the ad on – you guessed it – a tablet.

20
Dec
image

Google Search Gets Shown Off In Two New 30-Second Spots [Video]

Posted by in Google, News, Videos

In a pair of new thirty-second ad spots, Google is showing off what it does best – search. The spots both feature Google's Search app for Android, using the same cozy, refined aesthetic as Google's other ads in recent memory, even showing off Search's new "search with camera" functionality.

The first spot follows the story of a nervous job candidate, gaining some insight into his prospective employer's interests with a last-minute Google search, while the second spot shows us a "smart Dad" who uses Google Search as a cheat sheet to answer his inquisitive son's astronomical questions. Without further ado, here's the new set of ads.

19
Sep
2012-09-19_13h47_44

Samsung's Newest "Next Big Thing" Ad Is Just Like Last Year's Model, But Slightly Bigger

Posted by in News, Samsung

Last year, Samsung revolutionized parodies of revolutions. Now, they've revolutionized the revolutionizing of making fun of revolutionizing revolutions. The Korean manufacturer has released the newest iteration of its "Next Big Thing" series of ads. This model has 50% more runtime than last year's model. New features include "the iPhone is for your parents," "we've had 4G for a while," and the totally not subtext-laden "my screen is bigger than your screen."

The new 90-second spot will be available tonight on national TV. No word yet on whether the ad will be compatible with current consumer biases, or if users will have to upgrade their snark to take the commercial seriously.

22
Aug
image

Google Brings TrueView In-Stream YouTube Advertisements To Mobile Devices

Posted by in Applications, Google, News

In a post to Google's Mobile Ads blog today, YouTube Group Project Manager Phil Farhi announced that those pre-video, skippable advertisements you've seen on YouTube (they're officially called TrueView in-stream video ads) are quick on their way to mobile devices.

Fahri cites greater ROI as the primary benefit of multi-platform ad exposure through YouTube and its associated mobile experiences, also noting that "today, most of us watch video on our smartphones and tablets, as well as our PCs." This consumption-oriented behavior pattern's spread across multiple platforms effectively opens the door for what Fahri calls "multi-screen campaigns," which not only expose viewers to an advertiser's campaign across multiple devices, but also – and perhaps more importantly – improves brand recall.

Page 1 of 212