[CLUE-Talk] IBM ad

[Kirk Rafferty]

On Mon, Sep 08, 2003 at 08:20:26AM -0600, Gary Threlkeld wrote:
> >Am I wrong? Does anybody think this was a good approach to marketing
> >Linux?
> 
> I totally agree.  Did IBM really think that the average sports dude would 
> be captured by a geeky-ad as he reached for his beer and chips?  I hardly
> think that an esoteric ad such as this would be understood by the masses 
> and would just be lumped in with sci-fi stuff ala Farenheit 451, the
> Blob, etc.

Been to a sports bar lately?  It's all 30-something, white collar guys.
The beer-guzzling pretzel-stuffing sports guy image is old world.  Sports,
especially football, has been upscaled.  Go to any major sporting event
in Denver, and you'll see close to as many ties as t-shirts.  Those ties
you see are marketers, sales-droids, executives, managers, and other
PHB-types.  IBM positioned this ad perfectly.

> And would the average businessman be persuaded to give Linux a try
> seeing that Linux (portrayed as a kid learning the ways of the world) would
> be the answer to hard, real business issues?

I don't think the ad was geared to trying to sell, at least not in the
conventional way.  It was there to make an impact, to stick it in the
viewer's brain.  So the next time one of the IT guys talks about Linux,
or if Linux is brought up as a solution, he's got this tantalizing image
in his head, making him (or her) want to learn more.  And maybe he'll just
call his IBM rep to learn more.  This commercial reminds me of the Apple
Orwellian-style commercial played during the 1984 Olympics.  It's a weak
comparison to be sure, but both commercials aren't necessarily selling you
the product, just selling you a concept of the product.

> Linux should have at least been portrayed as the teacher rather than the 
> student.

I think that would have come across too "know-it-all."  If there were an
equivelent Win2k commercial, the Win2k kid would be this in-your-face brat,
telling you exactly what you needed to know (according to him).  Linux as
an empty vessel, waiting for you to instruct him with your needs, was
perfect.  IMHO. :)

-k