Every entrepreneur knows the thrill of grinding at an idea till it becomes a full fledged usable product. But once your product is ready, you’re faced with your next big challenge: Marketing. Crafting a commercial can be really difficult especially when you’re introducing a novel idea or an innovation, or even a new iteration of a product – just ask Google Glass.
Making a commercial is a freaking science. I mean, the brand has to convince you in 60 seconds or less what their product is and why you should buy it. A lot of tech brands fail miserably. But once in a while, some of these brands hit the proverbial hole in one.
These are some of them.
1. Ad: College Humour – Siri Argument
Product: Siri
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eLELOBuT-Q
I’m not sure how many people still use Siri. But back in 2012, Apple’s entire marketing campaign revolved around our dear popular office assistant, Siri. One thing the ad did successfully was it got people talking. A voice assistant on your phone that could remind you to pick up groceries as you walked or drove by the market? Sounds like science fiction. Only Siri was not fiction.
In fact, I think Apple sort of got their ads “too right”. People were expecting Siri to be like Skynet or the AI from Eagle Eye. Because you could hear the disappointment in reviews when the iPhone 4S came out. Most of them went, “Oh the iPhone 4S is fine, it’s Siri that’s just disappointing.”
Thankfully, Apple later finetuned Siri and she’s grown up a bit.
You can find hundreds of videos online about Siri, but this skit by College Humour of a couple using Siri as a go between during a fight was just too hilarious not to be on this list.
2. Ad: Michael
Product :Playstation 3
The console war rages on between Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft, but in 2011, Sony was not in a good place as far sales were concerned. Then this ad came out.
I’m at a loss for words to express just how much this commercial touches me on a deep level. Sony was able to partner with over 15 game publishers, licensing their major characters (Solid Snake, Super sack boy, Ezio, Kratos etc) and crafting what I think is the best damn ad in the whole universe I’ve ever seen (not counting that Procter and Gamble Mother’s Day ad). If you’ve ever been a “serious” videogamer, this video will make your heart race and your chest will swell.
Bra-frigging-vo Sony!
3. Ad: The Next big thing is already here
Product: Samsung Galaxy S3
I wasn’t sure if I should include this one. This wasn’t an ad as much as it was Samsung riffing on Apple and Apple fanboys. And Samsung didn’t hold back.
But when you come to think of it, this ad wasn’t targeting Apple loyals. It was talking to Samsung loyals. It basically played up the silliness of iPhone loyalists raving about new features that were already available on their Samsung Galaxy S3. Which was brilliant as it achieved two things – it gave Samsung loyalists more reason to stick with Samsung, and also it gave them (and other Android fanboys) another reason to torment their iPhone-using friends.
In the end, you have to applaud Samsung’s ballsiness; the snark in this ad was just volcanic.
4. Ad: Three Little Pigs
Product: The Guardian Newspaper
How is this a tech ad? I’ll tell you.
At the height of mobile’s disruption of the news cycle, traditional media took a big hit and lost majority of their readers to blogs and new media outlets. At that point, Guardian Newspaper launched an advertising campaign, called Open Journalism which was to prove to their readers that they still have a place in the age of mobile.
That campaign is what produced this ad. It’s a freakishly long ad (120 seconds), but it successfully showcased how new technology, social media and traditional media can not only fit together but are essential in telling a fully rounded story in reporting the news. Extra points for using a universally known bedtime story – the three little pigs.
The ad was so good, it won a Cannes Lions Award.
Photo Credit: DanielJames via Compfight cc
