Motorola Milestone's ad campaign less likely to leave you in a bloody heap than Droid's
By Laura June 
posted December 10th 2009 3:01PM
posted December 10th 2009 3:01PM
posted December 10th 2009 3:01PM
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I like the intense, robot ads better. It has a different change of pace than all the other mobile phone ads and applies more towards the demographic they were going for.
@flextopia
Yeah, I agree. This is very talky and boring.
@flextopia
Let me guess... Are you an American?
@flextopia This was written by a women, who probably likes the iphone and is upset cause Verizon says it's for dumb girls, so can't say I didn't see this coming.
@(Unverified) USA! USA! USA!
@flextopia - Right on.
Not that I don't like the European version, but for the US, Verizon has done a great job.
To me, it looks like Engadget is a bit uncomfortable seeing their favorite toy belittled and played off the park.
I personally am not a fan of Verizon's Droid ads -- has nothing to do with the iPhone (though I do think that's obviously their aim). I'm not into them because they're intensely stupid and uninformative, and I don't like being talked down to. That is, however, my own personal opinion, not the opinion of "Engadget."
@Laura June
Just curious as to how the commercial made you feel talked down to.
@ljm because she's an iPhone owner and the commercials constantly ask, "does your phone...?" Since her phone doesn't, she felt talked down to.
@ljm general lack of info. this one's better, imo. just an opinion though -- they're just two very different approaches.
@Laura June Like the super informative iphone commercials? Commercial 1: look, you can now copy and paste!
Commercial 2: you can now send a picture message!
Commercial 3: you push this button and it makes fart noise!
@flextopia never said i liked an iphone ad, dude.
@Laura June You love them! LOVE THEM!
@flextopia It's a known fact I am a lover of phones with physical keyboards.
@Laura June
of course they were targeting the iphone, that's pretty obvious! and there's no way you can tell us that this commercial gave us more information than say, this one:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/verizons-anti-iphone-gets-its-first-commercial-droid-does/
@flextopia You and your love of the physical keyboarding--quit flirting with me!
@Laura June ^ was meant for you.
@flextopia I totally agree.
@flextopia contrary to a lot of opinions, it's still good that at least finally moto-droid unveiled their droid version 'milestone' to UK. Europeans had been waiting this for 2 months now. But why? here's the leaked specs: http://bit.ly/motorola-milestone-best
They took the muscle out of the droid. Now it's got nothing. Crazy Foos, Deriving Europeans by Pussying their Droids
@MrT shouldn't you be at the youth center today?
Crazy foo. I didn't give you permission to speak.
@MrT Yes because simply, Americans need violence to be stimulated.
I want Michael Bay explosions in my commercials
@saturnblackhole
Yeah, but in Europe you don't get the Michael Bay budget from the carrier to fight another carrier (like in the US, where using a certain phone means using a certain carrier).
You can use the Milestone on any carrier you want, so the money for the commercial comes only from Motorola.
This is great. Nice ad.
Also, I don't think the carriers over at Europe have to worry about kicking sand in each others faces, since exclusivity isn't a problem over there. You can get the iPhone on any carrier you wish, and find any unlocked phone you're looking for; cell phone opportunities are pretty vast.
@N900 Nothing says modern Europe more than "less likely to leave you in a bloody heap" . Weak.
Informative ads? Why, that's un-American!
@Samurai Jack ads were made for europe, so does it make sense now?
@Dking7
*facepalm*
@Samurai Jack
Your ranking should call "highest among highest"
Droid commercials were better.
@(Unverified)
Pretty sure they also paid licensing to LucasArts for the "Droid" name.
Eh, the Verizon commercials are a bit overdone, but they get the point across while giving the phone some personality, this is just another generic spec rundown...its not a bad thing but it wont get your attention unless you already wanted a phone like this.
...someone came into my local Verizon store with a basic flip phone and said that he just wanted to keep with simple stuff that just makes calls, but he still asked to see the Droid because he "wanted to see what all the fuss was about," that wont happen with commercials like this.
I personally think that the British ad would have appealed to the US target market as well, especially if the Droids aim was to take on the iPhone. I myself own a Droid, and there's no doubt that Apple has tried desparately to attach an aura of sophistication much like what this commercial attempts to do for the Droid.
I actually had a buddy of mine comment that my Droid seemed more professional and less kiddy looking than his iPhone, contrary to what the boy-ish Droid commercials are going for.
I don't know. On one hand, this advert seems more professional and sophisticated. On the other hand, the 10 year old in me wants F-117s, explosions and a robotic "DRRRRROOOIIIIID!" voice whenever I switch on the phone. :)
Britain today is (as you'll discover if you walk down any high street), highly metrosexual, so the US Droid ads, while appealing to us more, uhm, robust? generation, would probably not cut it with today's UK youth. My problem is the name, Milestone is boring and a bit pretentious. Looks great as a phone though and hope it's coming to Voda.
@Oflife
I think meathead is the term you're looking for in place of robust.
@boot2skull
Moi?
@Oflife But it's almost as if the Verizon ads are telling you: buy me so you can prove you're a man. It seems to be working here.
Nowadays, men all over the world *including* the US have become quite androgynous. Men plucking their eyebrows, laying in tanning beds, shaving their chests, putting on creams, spending hours on grooming and looking in the mirror. Don't think it's a European thing at all.
@vqro
I don't do any of those things, and I just end up looking like a pale spotty nerd.
@vqro Worrying, but all part of the plan by our masters. a) A weeker public are easier to pacify and less likely to rebel against intrusions into their privacy and the slow repealing of their right to protest. (They were bought up on Big Brother, X-Factor etc and with CCTV everywhere, not concerned with loss of dignity.) b) This is pretty much what H G Wells predicted in The Times Machine, re the Merlocks VS the Eloi. Guess which our youth are becoming? Again, worrying, and very sad. Australia is the last bastion of hope...
Logans Run anyone?
Wayyyy Better than the creepy Pre ads
@therodt Am I the only one that like the Pre ads?
@jin and guice
yes
@jin and guice
DEFINITELY yes
@therodt
Damn skippy! Those Palm Pre ads freak me out, they are doing much better with the Pixie adds IMHO.
@jin and guice
yep and that guy who walks around praising mother nature while wearing sandals and wreath made out of fake twigs...
Both work well, but the Droid ads created hype (which I am sure spilled over to Europe) while this ad does a better job selling the product. Anyone who knows about phones before they are announced would also know about other versions in other countries, right? So I am sure plenty of people have seen Verizon's US Droid ads. Plus, Europe, to me, is all about a spec sheet, which is what this ad is.
And I think there will be a time when an ad like this will be running on CNBC to sell to the business people who need a real phone that can do stuff besides play games and music, but don't want a BlackBerry, but not until the Droid gets more mind share as the new, hip, must-have phone.
watching this ad makes me feel like i'm watching an in flight advert. i guess that's what you get when every ad is held to the scrutiny of realistically portraying their products.