When we last saw this fair-faced Pre spokesperson, she was sitting on a rock in an otherwise open field playing choreographer to a sea of robed individuals encircling her. This latest ad takes a decidedly simpler approach reminiscent of the vibe set in the Meet the Pre series, though we can't say for sure her if her followers aren't just waiting off-camera for the next directive. Also, interesting choice of onomatopoeia for sliding through the webOS cards, we imagine there's a certain, Redmond-based company out there delighted by the subtle (and probably unintentional) reference. See the ad for yourself after the break -- and in case you're wondering, that song that'll be stuck in your head all day is "Doot Doot" by Freur.
YEP, this is just as bad as the Microsoft Gates/Seinfeld ads and the husband porn/wife vomit video. I too smell the pungent stink of a Microsoft purchase of Palm.
Oh no - I'm not falling for that! I'm not going to read your comments again when they were bad enough the first time around.
Are you seriously suggesting to us that you have never made a bitchy anti-Apple comment on a non-Apple article? For the record, I can remember at least half a dozen times that you have troll-slammed Apple on a non-Apple article.
So, yes, you do, and therefore, no, Quix wasn't lying.
.....and in need of iron. Is this supposed to be the role model for Pre owners? The anemic, whiter than white, ballet prima donna demographic is a niche of a niche of a niche. Much preferred the first advert.
@steveorevo: "Microsoft only aquires companies to kill their technology from seeing the light of day"
Well not all the time. Actually most companies that I remember Microsoft acquiring get their products/services rebranded to fit somewhere in Microsoft's business models. It's just that sometimes, Microsoft doesn't really support it that much, and it ends up dying or who knows what.
Yep, this commercial is terrible. I'm a fan of the pre, and it makes me want to place the device on a small table and smash it. It actually makes me long for the days of "can you hear me now?"
I would assume the KEY result of the ad (good or bad) is whether or not "you", stranger to Palm and Pres, remember the ad was about the Pre an hour later...
It's also about getting the right attention, and not turning off potential buyers. If I have to go hide behind my couch everytime this creepy looking woman comes on, then they've already failed.
Seriously this is the second one of their smug commercial I've seen in two days. The first one I had to explain to my girlfriend what the hell it was about. She was totally lost, and could have been a Pre user. But I had to waste my time to explain it for Palm and Sprint.
hey dont attack the mans personality...that commercial was just terrible...it gave me no connection to the product...it never even mentions that its a damn phone...and it was the most plain, uninformative ad i have seen in a long time for a smartphone...but leave his picture out of this...
At this point after every flipping ad Engadget has even shown, it is safe to say that every chowder head has the same canned response.
* This ad tells me nothing about the product
* They dont show it doing anything
* the music is annoying
*The person in it is creepy
*OMG it was too long!
*(Company X) does it better
* It doesnt make me want to buy the product
Not a damn original thought from the people critiquing any of them. So lets all just say that we are above advertising because we are too cool for school.
I really liked the original flow commercial, but when I saw this one for the first time last night I was visiting my mother. All of us felt a little creeped out by it. I think the girl is really pretty, but the way they have her makeup and her acting in this it's really a negative. It could be a good campaign, but they're making some major mistakes.
Kinda looks like a cross between, a redheaded albino, macaulay culkin, and the borg queen. Same facial expressions too. Very very creepy. Does not make me want to buy a palm product.
But now that you said it she does very much remind me of the borg queen.
It also vaguely reminds me of those tic-tac commercials. The girl was cute in a creepy way, freak me out but in the end i still wanted a bloody mint.
In unrelated news, doesn't the colour scheme of the comment box remind you of disabled text boxes, i was affraid to type something thinking it would not work.
remembering is not the only or main part in advertising anymore...the objective is to create brand equity...give the customer a reason to feel connected with the product...not only does it not do this but for some reason i get the feeling that this chick just got laid...
It's all part of the overall theme of "simplicity" that Palm is trying to sell.
The first ad took place in what I think was the expansive Chinese countryside, with Chinese dancers moving in perfect sync.
You also have pale women with smooth skin, sleepy look, simple hairstyle, calm voice, "go with the flow" slogan, A product that looks like a stone you would see in a Zen garden, lots of puffy clouds, low tempo music.
It isnt too hard to get the gist of what Palm is trying to convey. Does it make it bad? No.
Does it make it confusing to the male 18-24 year old demographic that needs flashing lights, half-naked girls, and explosions? I suppose. But then again, maybe they aren't trying to appeal to that group directly.
@Look_Around_You Just because you might have a Pre, does not negate the fact that the advertising job here is sub par. Showing 3 sliding cards does not show any simplicity. Get off your, I'm cool because I can see into the advertising, if 95% of the people say it is terrible, do you think they got it right? Or because you got it, its got to be right?
"@Look_Around_You Just because you might have a Pre, does not negate the fact that the advertising job here is sub par. Showing 3 sliding cards does not show any simplicity. Get off your, I'm cool because I can see into the advertising, if 95% of the people say it is terrible, do you think they got it right? Or because you got it, its got to be right?"
#1 I dont have a Pre.
#2 I study advertising and marketing. I learned to actually watch ads a bit differently than the 95% of people that grunt "ugh, it suck" or "ugh, it rocks", and think they made a brilliant observation. So excuse me if my response doesn't fit so neatly into a soundbite verdict. It doesn't make me cooler than you, I'm just not a passive recipient of advertising.
#3 the advertisement isn't "sub par". That's just another one-dimensional verdict. Palm has a theme and are sticking to it. There is a demo that this appeals to. Professional, and college age women is the most obvious. Moderate to high income urban males is the second.
The ad may not appeal to you, ok. However, ads aren't mad to win or lose like it is a game, but only to target and appeal. This does that.
Honestly, how can you defend such a terrible commercial? You don't seem to get the fact that creepy looking extremely pale deep voiced women are not meant to advertise products on live television! I understand Palm was trying to keep the commercial in theme with their other Flow commercial, but this isn't the Renaissance period, women like that are not considered beautiful and simple. You say the male audience of 18-25 wants boobs and butts and hot girls. But what you don't get is that if a 30 second Apple commercial showcasing a stupid Taxi application for the iPhone makes most men pay attention, a simple advertisement showcasing the Pre's features would have done perfectly fine while keeping it simple. I liked the first Pre commercial with the Chinese dancers. But this ad is just plain creepy... and advertisments showcasing a stylish and simple phone shouldn't creep people of ALL ages out.
@Look_Around_You I'm glad you studied advertising, I'm a bit sad that your advertising school didn't stress the importance of reaching an intended audience. Of course I wouldn't expect a BA degree to teach you common sense, that's what BS degrees are for.
PS- I'm an engineer and so your stated intended audience...I'm part of it.
Look_Around_You's agenda is consistently pro-Microsoft and anti-Apple (*rabidly* anti-Apple). That said, it's interesting to hear him defend a decidedly bad Palm commercial when Microsoft isn't even involved.
not only am i currently interning in a marketing department but I am studying advertising at the #1 ad school in the country...university of illinois...i just dont care as much as you do cause ur one of those weird adver-freaks
To me it doesn't matter. The idea that this commercial is great because the 'advertising' community thinks so is terrible. Wow so less then .5% of the viewing audience 'gets it'...this spells success to the advertising industry?
"Honestly, how can you defend such a terrible commercial?"
You sit there and say that as if you have the collective verdict of all the people to refer to.
Hint: You dont. You dont like the ad, and as many people do on the internet, to extrapolate it out to "every one hates it" therefore it's "bad" and now your confused how "defend such a terrible commercial".
Here some help. It isnt a "terrible" commercial. Is it in the top 10 best of all time? Nooooooo.
There, does that bridge my "snotty" analysis to your "ugh, it sucks", my way or the highway method of looking at it?
"I'm glad you studied advertising, I'm a bit sad that your advertising school didn't stress the importance of reaching an intended audience. Of course I wouldn't expect a BA degree to teach you common sense, that's what BS degrees are for.
PS- I'm an engineer and so your stated intended audience...I'm part of it."
Um, Ok?
I'm a male in that magic 18-35 year old demographic, guess what, not everything advertised in that bracket appeals to me either.
Where on earth did they teach you at engineering school that EVERYONE FOLLOWS LOCKSTEP IN EVERYTHING?
Advertising in mediums like TV, inst tailor made to every single persons sensibilities, just to the broadest group of people you hope to possibly attract.
If it misses the target with you, it isn't personal.
"To me it doesn't matter. The idea that this commercial is great because the 'advertising' community thinks so is terrible. Wow so less then .5% of the viewing audience 'gets it'...this spells success to the advertising industry?"
Again, how do you know how successful it is? Based on the responses on a messageboard?
dude enuf man...i think we have all had enuf of ur attitude...ppl are just stating their opinions and if they choose to poorly back it up u can just laugh to urself about it...u dont have to be a dick to everyone...nobody likes a dick (accept that lady in the vid!)
It does not matter what theme Palm has for these ads, if I have to explain to my girlfriend the message in these Ads, then they've failed. My girlfriend falls in that category of college students. She does not frequent Engadget and other technology blogs so she may not have heard about the Pre beforehand, when she saw the first commercial she was obviously clueless on the message. So the audience who's never heard about the Pre before remain clueless while those that know all about it (me and you) Palm advertise to. Nice marketing 101 there.
Palm has a nice deice in the Pre but is doing it a disservice with these creepy, cheese, vague over the heads of the target audience Ads imo.
This iphone beater game is really not hard, you need a good name, brand and marketing first then the tech. Iphone just added cut and paste! CUT AND PASTE! Its all hype and branding, make it cool, get it in the right ppls hands, make people want it and then worry about us geeks on here with tech.
So Step one.. Name Answer ... Palm Pre Verdict - Rubbish name, try again. ( dare i say FAIL )
Saying this I may still get if and when it supports flash, but joe average wants Iphone :(
“One wonderful Samsung addition to the traditional Android experience is a "real" camera button on the side, which can even register half-presses for focus.”
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posted Jul 13th 2009 5:16PM
palm / microsoft merger hints sprinkled all over this 1
wow, I actually understand your reference....
THey should have used one of my songs...
I have so many #1's
a hee hee hee!
YEP, this is just as bad as the Microsoft Gates/Seinfeld ads and the husband porn/wife vomit video. I too smell the pungent stink of a Microsoft purchase of Palm.
When you can't innovate, ACQUIRE!
@Quix
Wow, great post. Slams on Apple's competitors. How innovative.
I suppose you will be the first to bitch about "Apple haters" when someone pulls the same stunt about Apple, right?
@ Look_Around_You:
You *do* pull the same stunt about Apple - you don't think I know your comment history? Get real.
Look around you.
"You *do* pull the same stunt about Apple - you don't think I know your comment history? Get real."
Actually I dont. But thanks for lying anyway. It goes so well with your trolling.
Oh, and if anyone really has that much time to waste, you can read all of my I'm sure riveting musings by just clicking on my name.
@ Look_Around_You -
Oh no - I'm not falling for that! I'm not going to read your comments again when they were bad enough the first time around.
Are you seriously suggesting to us that you have never made a bitchy anti-Apple comment on a non-Apple article? For the record, I can remember at least half a dozen times that you have troll-slammed Apple on a non-Apple article.
So, yes, you do, and therefore, no, Quix wasn't lying.
They aren't even trying to hide it anymore... look at that Windows XP background!
Its 1700s oilpainting portrait meme, not windows. Theres a well known painting of woman with sky that this add takes ques from.
Lighting is a real giveaway.
She's high, yep.
she sure is....
.....and in need of iron. Is this supposed to be the role model for Pre owners? The anemic, whiter than white, ballet prima donna demographic is a niche of a niche of a niche. Much preferred the first advert.
@Jim
it's just a good commercial you dumbfuck... WAA WAA IS DAT WHAT PRE PEOPLES SHOULD LOOK LIKE DURRRR!!!!!!
Dude, shut it, it was terrible and you know it.
Allislost:
Just go with the flow, man. The ad sucks so bad.
And I'm a Pre fan.
I hope MS buys them and puts that OS on a Zune HD with Tegra.
Microsoft only aquires companies to kill their technology from seeing the light of day.
... And see Web OS thrashed like Banjo and Kazooie? No thanks, Microsoft doesn't like software. (Yeah i know, devices / OS
But, does microsoft like palm? I hope not.
Banjo & Kazooie... god I love that game...
@steveorevo: "Microsoft only aquires companies to kill their technology from seeing the light of day"
Well not all the time. Actually most companies that I remember Microsoft acquiring get their products/services rebranded to fit somewhere in Microsoft's business models. It's just that sometimes, Microsoft doesn't really support it that much, and it ends up dying or who knows what.
I kind of hate this commercial... I think it's the turning around awkwardly when she needs to display the device. I think I hate her too.
confirmed, i hate her
Yep, this commercial is terrible. I'm a fan of the pre, and it makes me want to place the device on a small table and smash it. It actually makes me long for the days of "can you hear me now?"
Agreed. Terrible. Creepy. I get the feeling her bleach-white jaws unhinge, too.
BING LOL))
Great, well thought out comment. I just couldn't stop laughing. This is the kind of stuff that keeps me returning to Engadget. Thank you.
Creeps me out every time I see this. It's been on the air for about 2-3 weeks though. What's with the slow uptake?
Bing, Bing, Bing....
It's like you're not even trying...
Bing-go!
Does Macaulay Culkin have a sister?
Doot Doot.
Ah, yes, THAT'S where I've seen "her"!
I believe that is Tamara Hope.
Scary resemblance. I wouldn't be surprised if they were related.
@pedantic
From 10.5: Apocalypse! Yes, I remember her now!
Holy crap, I thought the exact same thing
I really find these advertisments annoying. I find it hard to understand how this advertises Pre or any of Sprints services
I would assume the KEY result of the ad (good or bad) is whether or not "you", stranger to Palm and Pres, remember the ad was about the Pre an hour later...
If not...well...it wasn't a good ad.
Here's an ad that'd be great.
Copy Apple's There's an App for That series. "Just like the iPhone, there's an app for that here too."
And then at the end of the commercial, be like, "So what makes the Palm Pre different?"
And then have it slide out the keyboard. And then mention the cheaper plans.
That'd be a great commercial. Not these stupid, vague, confusing, creepy ones. Seriously Palm, these commercials are horrible.
"Copy Apple's There's an App for That series. "Just like the iPhone, there's an app for that here too."
And then at the end of the commercial, be like, "So what makes the Palm Pre different?"
And then have it slide out the keyboard. And then mention the cheaper plans.
That'd be a great commercial. Not these stupid, vague, confusing, creepy ones. Seriously Palm, these commercials are horrible."
You really dont read this site often enough.
First response from the same people:
"Wow, that put me to sleep! Reading rate plans is soooo boring! Apple never had to do that! Not creative at all!!!"
Second response:
"HOW DARE THEY ATTACK APPLE IN THEIR AD!!!"
creepy
What is creepy is you both wrote 'creepy' at the same time. :)
Creepy.
creepy like a tampon commercial.
that song is in vanilla sky, an awesome movie, and now it's in this commercial, a lousy one.
There's no way a movie called "Vanilla Sky" could be awesome.
You're saying this commercial is a lousy movie? That's not even wrong.
Bing you.
bing ... bing ... bing ...
like you don't even try .....
just ....
going with the flow ....
At least its not "going with the FLO"
@sisyphus LOL
what a terrible ad campaign
The fact that you took time to write this comment proves otherwise. Remember, an ad's #1 job is to get attention. And it got your attention.
It's also about getting the right attention, and not turning off potential buyers. If I have to go hide behind my couch everytime this creepy looking woman comes on, then they've already failed.
Seriously this is the second one of their smug commercial I've seen in two days. The first one I had to explain to my girlfriend what the hell it was about. She was totally lost, and could have been a Pre user. But I had to waste my time to explain it for Palm and Sprint.
thats just bad advertising
How?
You know you are allowed to elaborate on a point beyond one sentence.
look around you man...my reasons are all over the comments!
lol - i had too
my eyes..
Wow...that was pretty bad. I gained nothing about the 'flowing' usability of the pre...if that is what they were aiming for in the first place.
your user pic is pretty bad as well... just thought I would share. :D
hey dont attack the mans personality...that commercial was just terrible...it gave me no connection to the product...it never even mentions that its a damn phone...and it was the most plain, uninformative ad i have seen in a long time for a smartphone...but leave his picture out of this...
@andrew
At this point after every flipping ad Engadget has even shown, it is safe to say that every chowder head has the same canned response.
* This ad tells me nothing about the product
* They dont show it doing anything
* the music is annoying
*The person in it is creepy
*OMG it was too long!
*(Company X) does it better
* It doesnt make me want to buy the product
Not a damn original thought from the people critiquing any of them. So lets all just say that we are above advertising because we are too cool for school.
@Look_Around_You
Completely agree cool guy.
I really liked the original flow commercial, but when I saw this one for the first time last night I was visiting my mother. All of us felt a little creeped out by it. I think the girl is really pretty, but the way they have her makeup and her acting in this it's really a negative. It could be a good campaign, but they're making some major mistakes.
btw, "freur" has a few band members going by the alias of "underworld" these days.
At least she didn't say google... google...google...
Bing sounds much nicer.
shoulda been "bong bong bong".
but saying "google, google. google" woulda been TOO obvious.
She reminds me of the creepy princess way back when in the Never Ending Story. The whole ad's creepy.
Kinda looks like a cross between, a redheaded albino, macaulay culkin, and the borg queen. Same facial expressions too. Very very creepy. Does not make me want to buy a palm product.
I knew it... the borg queen was ginger.
But now that you said it she does very much remind me of the borg queen.
It also vaguely reminds me of those tic-tac commercials. The girl was cute in a creepy way, freak me out but in the end i still wanted a bloody mint.
In unrelated news, doesn't the colour scheme of the comment box remind you of disabled text boxes, i was affraid to type something thinking it would not work.
she scares me...
remembering is not the only or main part in advertising anymore...the objective is to create brand equity...give the customer a reason to feel connected with the product...not only does it not do this but for some reason i get the feeling that this chick just got laid...
It's all part of the overall theme of "simplicity" that Palm is trying to sell.
The first ad took place in what I think was the expansive Chinese countryside, with Chinese dancers moving in perfect sync.
You also have pale women with smooth skin, sleepy look, simple hairstyle, calm voice, "go with the flow" slogan, A product that looks like a stone you would see in a Zen garden, lots of puffy clouds, low tempo music.
It isnt too hard to get the gist of what Palm is trying to convey. Does it make it bad? No.
Does it make it confusing to the male 18-24 year old demographic that needs flashing lights, half-naked girls, and explosions? I suppose. But then again, maybe they aren't trying to appeal to that group directly.
@Look_Around_You
Just because you might have a Pre, does not negate the fact that the advertising job here is sub par. Showing 3 sliding cards does not show any simplicity. Get off your, I'm cool because I can see into the advertising, if 95% of the people say it is terrible, do you think they got it right? Or because you got it, its got to be right?
"@Look_Around_You
Just because you might have a Pre, does not negate the fact that the advertising job here is sub par. Showing 3 sliding cards does not show any simplicity. Get off your, I'm cool because I can see into the advertising, if 95% of the people say it is terrible, do you think they got it right? Or because you got it, its got to be right?"
#1 I dont have a Pre.
#2 I study advertising and marketing. I learned to actually watch ads a bit differently than the 95% of people that grunt "ugh, it suck" or "ugh, it rocks", and think they made a brilliant observation. So excuse me if my response doesn't fit so neatly into a soundbite verdict. It doesn't make me cooler than you, I'm just not a passive recipient of advertising.
#3 the advertisement isn't "sub par". That's just another one-dimensional verdict. Palm has a theme and are sticking to it. There is a demo that this appeals to. Professional, and college age women is the most obvious. Moderate to high income urban males is the second.
The ad may not appeal to you, ok. However, ads aren't mad to win or lose like it is a game, but only to target and appeal. This does that.
@Look_Around_You
Honestly, how can you defend such a terrible commercial? You don't seem to get the fact that creepy looking extremely pale deep voiced women are not meant to advertise products on live television! I understand Palm was trying to keep the commercial in theme with their other Flow commercial, but this isn't the Renaissance period, women like that are not considered beautiful and simple. You say the male audience of 18-25 wants boobs and butts and hot girls. But what you don't get is that if a 30 second Apple commercial showcasing a stupid Taxi application for the iPhone makes most men pay attention, a simple advertisement showcasing the Pre's features would have done perfectly fine while keeping it simple. I liked the first Pre commercial with the Chinese dancers. But this ad is just plain creepy... and advertisments showcasing a stylish and simple phone shouldn't creep people of ALL ages out.
@Look_Around_You
I'm glad you studied advertising, I'm a bit sad that your advertising school didn't stress the importance of reaching an intended audience. Of course I wouldn't expect a BA degree to teach you common sense, that's what BS degrees are for.
PS- I'm an engineer and so your stated intended audience...I'm part of it.
Look_Around_You's agenda is consistently pro-Microsoft and anti-Apple (*rabidly* anti-Apple). That said, it's interesting to hear him defend a decidedly bad Palm commercial when Microsoft isn't even involved.
OR ARE THEY???
*cue sinister music*
Hey Lookaroundyou....
im glad u study advertising....
not only am i currently interning in a marketing department but I am studying advertising at the #1 ad school in the country...university of illinois...i just dont care as much as you do cause ur one of those weird adver-freaks
To me it doesn't matter. The idea that this commercial is great because the 'advertising' community thinks so is terrible. Wow so less then .5% of the viewing audience 'gets it'...this spells success to the advertising industry?
@chris
"Honestly, how can you defend such a terrible commercial?"
You sit there and say that as if you have the collective verdict of all the people to refer to.
Hint: You dont. You dont like the ad, and as many people do on the internet, to extrapolate it out to "every one hates it" therefore it's "bad" and now your confused how "defend such a terrible commercial".
Here some help. It isnt a "terrible" commercial. Is it in the top 10 best of all time? Nooooooo.
There, does that bridge my "snotty" analysis to your "ugh, it sucks", my way or the highway method of looking at it?
@ljm
"I'm glad you studied advertising, I'm a bit sad that your advertising school didn't stress the importance of reaching an intended audience. Of course I wouldn't expect a BA degree to teach you common sense, that's what BS degrees are for.
PS- I'm an engineer and so your stated intended audience...I'm part of it."
Um, Ok?
I'm a male in that magic 18-35 year old demographic, guess what, not everything advertised in that bracket appeals to me either.
Where on earth did they teach you at engineering school that EVERYONE FOLLOWS LOCKSTEP IN EVERYTHING?
Advertising in mediums like TV, inst tailor made to every single persons sensibilities, just to the broadest group of people you hope to possibly attract.
If it misses the target with you, it isn't personal.
"To me it doesn't matter. The idea that this commercial is great because the 'advertising' community thinks so is terrible. Wow so less then .5% of the viewing audience 'gets it'...this spells success to the advertising industry?"
Again, how do you know how successful it is? Based on the responses on a messageboard?
dude enuf man...i think we have all had enuf of ur attitude...ppl are
just stating their opinions and if they choose to poorly back it up u
can just laugh to urself about it...u dont have to be a dick to
everyone...nobody likes a dick (accept that lady in the vid!)
It does not matter what theme Palm has for these ads, if I have to explain to my girlfriend the message in these Ads, then they've failed. My girlfriend falls in that category of college students. She does not frequent Engadget and other technology blogs so she may not have heard about the Pre beforehand, when she saw the first commercial she was obviously clueless on the message. So the audience who's never heard about the Pre before remain clueless while those that know all about it (me and you) Palm advertise to. Nice marketing 101 there.
Palm has a nice deice in the Pre but is doing it a disservice with these creepy, cheese, vague over the heads of the target audience Ads imo.
Pre > Her
anyone agree?
I concur.
i got it now...clouds are moving WAY to fast...throws everything off
I thought the doot doot was me receiving a text
Bing bing...crash!
this commercial is old news, plus its long and annoying as hell
sorry, i was meaning about their first commercial, but this one is just creepy
I think Tamara is hot, but her hair and makeup make her look creepy.
I like the song though.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opaeNiiizxo
This iphone beater game is really not hard, you need a good name, brand and marketing first then the tech.
Iphone just added cut and paste! CUT AND PASTE! Its all hype and branding, make it cool, get it in the right ppls hands, make people want it and then worry about us geeks on here with tech.
So Step one.. Name
Answer ... Palm Pre
Verdict - Rubbish name, try again. ( dare i say FAIL )
Saying this I may still get if and when it supports flash, but joe average wants Iphone :(
Once again in English...
I think someone is sounding a little "Smug".
I understood perfectly fine.
creepy...
bad ad.
shes high and i hated this commercial
She looks like a lifeless zombie to me.
That thing looks slick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!