Day in the Life: Kin-less

If you were near an internet display terminal yesterday, you might've tragically stumbled upon one of Microsoft's Kin promo videos. Sure, the product might be slightly condescending to its supposed target market, but the promotional videos are outright MTV-gone-bad, full of hipster shorthand and fake "reality" bits. The "Day in the Life" videos are particularly egregious, featuring a guy on a road trip to burn a box of mementos from his ex while accompanied by his two new girlfriends, a terrifying parade comprised of facial hair and Williamsburg-esque terror, and a tragically-near-30 couch surfer trying to remember a drunken night of excess through pictures. Strikes a bit close to home, we must say. So, in case you missed the spots you can check a couple out after the break, but to wash the palate we've also provided our very own "Kin-less" spin on the concept, with the help of a Windows Mobile 6.5 handset we just happened to have lying around.

[myrasolers Posted Apr 13th 2010 6:46PM]

@futurerheza People do stuff like that. especially people in generation y and z. if you are not into social networking either you are not part of that age group of people or been in a cave. like there is so much people on Facebook alone that if it was a country it would be the 4th largest population. I believe that's the reason why Kin is made.
Reactions. http://j.mp/microsoft-kin-opinions

[MasterCKO Posted Apr 13th 2010 6:55PM]

@futurerheza maybe I'm able to put myself in the shoes of the target audience more effectively than most of you, but I actually didn't find anything really inherently wrong or offensive with the promo vids. Would they sell me on the Kin, not really, but still.

People go out, have a good time with and are too drunk to remember what happened in everywhere. People go out and burn mementos for catharsis all the time. Am I the only one who can see that?

I guess snidely making fun of the differences you have with someone/some group of people (hipsters! fie! fie!) is fun, but really, how hard is it to see the commonalities here? *shrug*

[ScifiSurfer Posted Apr 13th 2010 7:03PM]

@sicem

In Thailand, they execute thieves. Perhaps there's a lesson here?

[smakus Posted Apr 13th 2010 7:19PM]

I want a kin so I can instantly have girl friends in training bras, meet hot women at foosball tables, steal pizza, and be so wasted that in the morning i have to log into my kin account just so i can remember wtf happened the night before.

Something tells me that if i buy a kin, none of that will happen though.

[cbustaylor Posted Apr 13th 2010 7:25PM]

Is Kin advertising any less condescending than the iPhone's assumption that their phone could have "everything I need"? I'm so sick of that assertion... yes, dear Apple (or Microsoft) I can live without my phone. While Kin's ads are a bit over the top, they blend in pretty seamlessly on MTV and all their over the top teenager melodrama.

[orinoko Posted Apr 13th 2010 8:01PM]

So... youre saying that if I don't have a Kin based phone... I have no social life?

Damn.

Oh and nice job in 'promoting' the use of seatbelts for us young hipsters cos, you know, we don't need to use seatbelts when we are in a car with our chick friends, to go burn our ex's stuff at a beach in the middle of nowhere.

wtf.

[Tman3k Posted Apr 13th 2010 8:16PM]

Paul Miller FTW. More skateboard practice is needed Paul.

[buoy Posted Apr 13th 2010 9:02PM]

Wow... decently put together in the new style genre - the acting / wardrobe / editing ... Microsoft would have to really pull out all the stops to even begin to run these ads...

but why do they put this just before the logo - it just ruins the moment the entire ad built up: "Screen images simulated"
Could have put that down there at the same TIME as the logo or just after.

[01 Posted Apr 13th 2010 9:35PM]

@sicem Yeah, where I'm from if you drunkenly steal people you would get your ass beat. Also, stealing is ok, but they don't go home together?

[Chalekan Posted Apr 13th 2010 9:40PM]

I think I may be a Paul Miller fanboy. Seriously great vid

[onlymyrailgun Posted Apr 13th 2010 10:17PM]

Thanks Engadget. Without your explanation, I wouldn't even know what's going on in the videos...

[TheSeanWilson Posted Apr 13th 2010 11:01PM]

Engadget,

This is easily the greatest thing you’ve ever done in your existence. You should be proud.

Sean

[Johnny Rockets Posted Apr 13th 2010 11:26PM]

Why does Paul look so sad in the first picture?

Ah..... Is that an iPhone in his hand?

[theaussiepunk Posted Apr 14th 2010 12:14AM]

You rock Paul, awesome video! I think the response on here is proof that you need to do more.

[GlobalCop Posted Apr 14th 2010 12:38AM]

Cool video. I'd love to see more and more videos from you guys.

[Takahashi Posted Apr 14th 2010 12:46AM]

Hey, nice old Royal typewriter, I have the same one. Looks like you are in need of a new ink ribbon though!

[iCello Posted Apr 14th 2010 12:47AM]

That is seriously one of the best videos I've ever seen.

[SteveyAyo Posted Apr 14th 2010 1:02AM]

I guess its just because i live on the largest campus in the country, but i see a lot of these hipster kids running around with the tight jeans and douchey neon colors (Motion City Soundtrack Show Today):((didnt know they were still a band)) but if half of them buy the kin it would be the highest selling phone ever... except they missed the sidekick generation that would have loved this, altho its nice to see MSFT did something with Danger after the bought it

[Psyg Posted Apr 14th 2010 2:55AM]

@hated one

Looking at your grammar, i'm glad Windows Mobile isn't popular around your crowd... you just wouldn't get it.

[IceNio Posted Apr 14th 2010 3:18AM]

Awesome video of Engadget , great editing , and nice play by Paul Miller. :D Haha.. so funny!