Heading into the all-important holiday marketing frenzy, I am looking forward to some new creative advertising campaigns from wireless companies. (Is anyone else growing tired of Jamie Lee Curtis acting like Super Woman?)
Lately, the ad campaigns I’ve seen have left a lot to be desired. Nextel’s spot with two guys debating the merits of being out of the office vs. being connected is witty, but that’s about the only bright spot.
Sprint’s campaign bashing cellular service is old. Time for something new.
I missed the earlier versions of AT&T Wireless Services’ series about the shepherd out in the field keeping connected with his phone, so when I saw the latest installment of that piece, with the shepherd grocery shopping accompanied by a bunch of sheep, the humor escaped me. Now that I’m in the loop, it sounds cute.
But one of the most recent ad campaigns stirring up passions is a Cellular One spot where a prisoner on death row hopes to get a call from the governor. A citizens’ group opposing the death penalty does not find anything redeeming with the campaign.
“By making light of this most grave life-and-death situation, the effect of the ad is to desensitize the viewer, and thereby promotes violent behavior,” Indiana Citizens to Abolish Capital Punishment Inc. wrote Cellular One dealers. Somehow I don’t think that was the intent of the genius behind that ad campaign.
… Speaking of marketing hits and misses, Phone.com and Software.com are dumping two great names to go for the less-effective Open Wave. (That name already sounds like it has been taken). Is there already too much baggage associated with the .com suffix for the Phone.com/Software.com powers that be? Maybe by the time members vote on CTIA’s proposed change to call itself the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, the name “Internet” will have lost its luster, too.
… Speaking of losing some luster, VP Al Gore must use the same lawyers as NextWave Telecom Inc. since neither seems to accept losing very well.
