New Zune Commercial with Cobras and Ice Cream?
Here’s a Microsoft Zune commercial that makes me want to never buy a Zune. The entire comercial is made up of two cobras in a desert fighting over an ice cream cone…really that’s it. No Zune, no features, nothing. Just snakes licking an ice cream cone….mmmmm maybe the new Zunes taste good.
The new Zune ads have generally avoided showing off features, instead showing people in a daydream-state, parading around with giant jelly fish and dancing bunnies.
If the Zune is going to have a fighting chance, Microsoft’s going to need to put out some more compelling ads that will get people to actually want to go out and buy a Zune. I’m not suggesting they copy Apple’s iPod ads, but people seem to be having a much more positive reaction to the current iPod Touch and Nano ads. I’ve heard people humming the music from the ads and buying these songs on iTunes. TV Shows are making paraodies of the iPod ads. People are BUYING iPods because of them.
I can’t believe Microsoft and its ad agency actually signed off on this. I really hope the Zune puts up a good fight this holiday, but these ads sure aren’t helping. I know someone at Microsoft will explain that these Zune ads are cutting edge and show how the Zune is unique and reflect how you can make it you. Blah, blah, blah- these ads just suck really suck.
Watch the Zune ad, then watch the below Apple iTunes ad. The Apple iTunes ad doesn’t show any product features either, but it sure does a better job communicating that iTunes and iPod are related to music.
The brainstorming session must have included some special brownies and gone something like this:
Microsft Zune Guy: “I want something creative, edgy and dangerous.”
Copywriter: “I’ve got it….Cobras battling in the Desert”
Microsoft Zune Guy: “Awesome! What kind of dessert…?
Copywriter: “Dude..uhh..I said desert”
Art Director “Check this drawing out guys…we can have it all! Snakes, fighting over dessert in the dessert!”
[B] Rogers
December 7th at 10:33pm
The thing you have to understand about Zune is they thrive on creativity, they tend to make there commercials much like Rorschach test. IPod has a completely different marking style, they tend to focus everything around simplicity. Zune tends to go off the deep end with there almost mind trip like commercials. In an overall stand point they try to show that there product is different then anything out there. The iPod team wants to keep the iPod like all the other Macintosh products; they wear minimalism like its diamond chain. IPod brings a fine, crisp edge and esthetically pleasing look to simple, while Zune brings more of a, your music is your play ground so let your imagination flow, type of style. Really the Zune commercial is clever as long as you look at it right, and the iPod commercial raise the bar on complex simplicity.