Are the Droid commercials offensive?

[shademar]

All the droid commercials struck me as trying a little too hard to be edgy and extreme (and, yes, machismo at times.) I don't feel it's sexist but it doesn't appeal to me in the exact same way that every other ad campaign that trys to evoke a similar reaction doesn't, be it for an energy drink, sports shoes, or a light beer.

I'm a geek. Less rapid-cut shots of things destroying other things and more specs, plz.

 

[cssvt]

LOL really? Someone's reading WAY too into a commercial (likely targeted at men, yes) in order to find an article.

 

[ezeddiekun]

Remember.. Its not racist or sexism or whatever unless you view it that way..

Had to edit my post my original was "Guys remember.. Its not racism or sexism or whatever unless you view it that way.." Didn't want anyone to view it as sexism since I said "guys".

Gotta be careful what you post these days ya know?

 

[kekchi]

As a female, I happen to like the droid commercial. I am not offended by it.

I also like the clean lines of the droid.

 

[Takami826]

as a female, I see all these posts here so I went back and watched the ad again.

and again.

and did felt nothing but laughing at the humour, the absurdity and realised I agree with a previous response that it would have been a tad better throwing some apples into the saw blade instead of bananas

that said...

what I got out of this commercial, from a female perspective...

iPhone is trendy, pretty, the toy all the cool kids have... you can get all sorts of clothes for your iPhone, bedazzle it, status symbol kind of thing... fluff kind of like a teacup dog you can dress up and carry around with you to show all your friends.

droid is industrial. it's a sleek quiet sexy charm that's got the balls to do the stuff you want to do when you're on the move. It's too busy DOING the things you want and need it to do... gods help us if they ever make a pink one *barf* then again I've always hated pink...


erm I don't want to start a flame war but... I can ALMOST maybe see how some insanely sensitive types who are insecure in themselves will project some sexism into these commercials, but homophobic?! Good gods... really?! Sorry... this thread is hilarious.

 

[darreno1]

IMO, the people who find themselves continually having 'issues' with these types of commercials (or even other things in daily life that don't seem to bother many people)really need to take a step back and have a good long, honest look at themselves first, before jumping to conclusions. Every now and then I do the same, and sometimes I find the root of the problem isn't anything someone else did or said, no, it's me. A little self evaluation makes me much more calm and appreciative.

Also, there are always things that are going to 'offend' someone. Even if there was a strong united effort to make all ads as PC as possible, there will ALWAYS be some group or some individual who will have a problem with something or the other. That doesn't mean there should be no-holds-barred ads with nudity, cussing, racism etc. however we as 'faulty' humans need to realize (and accept) that the problem isn't always external and that sometimes what's needed is a change in the way WE evaluate a situation.


Yes it's very true tons of money are invested in these ads and they do seek to appeal to a part of our psyche, but really, if these ads are going to have an effect on a person to the point of influencing their views beyond that of the phone in the ad, then I don't see the ad as the root of the problem. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Milehighjc]

...

So when I was finishing up our research on the web I saw the ad and thought, "What a sexist ad, and homophobic to boot." It was disappointing because I don't like to give money to organizations that are trying to prove themselves counter to people.
....

When I see ads that are violently destructive and view 'girly' as the enemy- I think of my 8 year old daughter and how amazing she is. I wonder about you folks with young daughters and how they would see it. Could you discuss this with them and explain how princesses are ....what? What if that ad showed a little girl dressed up as a princess and attacked with a knife? Too far maybe? What about Rihanna all dolled up and being punched in the face?

Also I see an effeminate manniquin being destroyed and I think about gay friends that have been beaten up. I think about Mathew Sheppard and that young boy murdered in California not so long ago. What if that manniquin was a real person being attacked with a baseball bat?

...

You did not say so, but I assume you have not/will not buy the Droid. That certainly is your free right if you don't like what Verizon/Motorola are selling with their ads. Its your money.

Is there something else you want? Are you looking for the Government to step in and shut down the ad?

I have three daughters - not so young anymore, the youngest is 16. I can assure you that they are plenty "tough", and dont need anyone telling them what phone they should use. They certainly dont obsess on a silly Verizon commercial, in fact until I asked them about it they hadn't even noticed the "problem".

The oldest (22) was the first in the family to own a Droid. The younger two like to tease theur old man about owning a "Space Phone", but comically want to take my phone anytime they can to use the apps/games on it, and browse the net. Mom is equally strong in her opinions, didnt see anything offensive in the commercials, and is now a Droid owner too.

Vote with you wallet. If you find the commercials offensive, dont buy the product. If a lot of people share your opinion the product wont sell, and the commercial will disappear.

Just my $.02

jc

 

[atomicwedgie]

I am totally floored that there is this much to talk about concerning a phone commercial.

 

[New2u]

I am totally floored that there is this much to talk about concerning a phone commercial.

Because commercials spark opinions, and people like to express their opinions, especially when asked what they think about it.

 

[joshua117]

In one word "No".

 

[keiichi25]

I think you are missing the point. You are saying the Storm didn't have the same support as the Droid from Verizon. That is my point..are you sure you are reading my response properly?

They were hyping the Storm before its release as if it was an "iPhone killer." Unfortunately upon its release, its weaknesses were too much to actually continue to promote and before you know it they let the phone die, as BB knew it was already coming out with a Storm 2.

I think you aren't understanding my point. In all the BB Storm commercials prior to its release, it never really hyped it as being the iPhone Killer. Not once. It hyped it as being the first Blackberry with a touchscreen, a radical change from what most people associate the Blackberry with, a device with a small screen, dinky keyboard. Now you have it where it is bigger screen, you can 'click' on the touch screen because it actually clicks, versus some little trackball or wheel that the older blackberries used to do.

Most users of the blackberry also didn't really browse the web, and they showed it could, especially with a bigger screen. The thing is, it was also simulated for people to see what it could do, but in all seriousness, the ads never, once, made the Blackberry Storm seem like an iPhone killer, not even with regards to media.

The follow up Storm 2 also never claimed that. It stated it was continuing with the basic design with improvements, especially on the OS level. The problem still, is that it is STILL not an iPhone killer. The browser is still not as zippy as the iPhone or even the Droid. I web browse on my droid more than on the storm because it is simply FASTER going to the same places on the same network.

The Blackberry Storm is still a good business based Smartphone out of the box in comparison to the Droid or the iPhone for the most part.

Companies like HTC and Samsung have never had the courage to go head to head. And most of the companies are forced to promote on their own terms, not from the support of the carrier. As I have been saying about the Passion, HTC releases more phones than flavors of candy and ice-cream so they have no incentive in promoting one phone over another to the extent that Verizon just hyped the Droid. (HTC consistently releases great, B+ phones but the masses can't name their flagship model. Why? Poor marketing and they are forced to do it on their own. No carrier has taken HTC under their wing to promote like Verizon just did with "the" Droid.

Actually, HTC never really made that much of an impression in general. You do realize that they are also new to the market, where Nokia, Motorola are more well known mostly for their phones, Samsung, LG and Apple are capitalizing on their own branding outside of the phones as well. There are also several phones under various makers on all the Providers that are also not heavily advertised nor has Blackberry gone out of its way to go head to head with Apple to claim being an iPhone killer with even their newer Blackberry models because their focus is primarily in the Business niche with some consumer pokings. The iPhone has always reign supreme with regards to how they are perceived by both design fashion and simply how they marketed their products in general, which was 'simplicity' for the average person.

When you look at the HTC commercials, they are trying to appeal to people's desire of something anakin to themselves, hence their whole ad with 'The phone that gets you.' and T-Mobile's Google/HTC MyTouch commercial of the various celebrities having their own look' to their phone. But not ONCE did T-mobile who BACKED the HTC MyTouch or HTC in general claim to be an iPhone killer or BE an iPhone competitor.

Now for the first time Apple and AT&T have had no choice but to respond. You think they like responding to another carrier and phone? It gives that phone credence and credit and brings more attention to the war. They knew that for the first time Verizon had the opportunity to seize on the Droid's strengths without any true glaring weaknesses. They didn't want to be a punching bag so they responded.

Actually, AT&T was hoping to make Verizon STOP the coverage map ads with the lawsuit, because the map depiction they were showing put them in a bad light. And I never once said they didn't have to react to the commercials, they rarely had to back themselves up until the campaign from Verizon attacking their map and the Droid commercials attacking the iPhone made them not look like the iPhone or their network was worth being with. Anyone who wants to keep business would have to deflect or counter those attacks regardless.

You think it took a genius to come up with the idea to attack the iPhone in ads to grab attention? Give me a break. It's just the first time a phone actually had the potential to back it up (in the minds of the consumers).

Personally, I could care less about marketing strategies. If you fall prey to propaganda then you are like a sheep grazing in a pasture.

And No, I never said it took a genius to come up with the idea. However, it was SMART of them to set it up like a viral ad, much better than the way they displayed the HTC generic commercial of 'The phone that gets you' bit or the T-mobile's MyTouch showing celebrities passing a phone around and it showing a different screen.

The basis of those commercials are just too blah, it gives no real impression of what the phone does. The "iDon't" commercial, while it showed NOTHING about the phone, or the fact it was a phone, did one thing that those TWO commercials failed to do besides just attacking the iPhone. It prompted curiosity. Plain, simple, human curiosity. Just like ANY viral based commercial, it prompts people to go, "What is that... What is that all about?"

The MyTouch Commercial... Woop. You can customize the phone and it runs google. BFD. It didn't display it would be able to play music... At most, you could take pictures, make it look nice (like you can do with other phones with wallpaper capability) and Web Browsing with google support. And in all seriousness... THAT IS ALL YOU GET FROM THE COMMERCIAL.

The HTC Ad. Again... You see you can make the phone interface look nice, but you don't know what else it can do. AGAIN, THAT IS ALL YOU GET FROM THE COMMERCIAL.

Everyone knows about the Blackberry because of the ads, most of them reference some of the basics about it, and it has ingrained itself under the Business section and slowly going into the Consumer market, but in general you only understand the basics of the Blackberry and given the iPhone came out AFTER the Blackberry, the Blackberry is playing catchup to come close to the simplicity of what makes the iPhone such a consumer level smartphone for the 'normal' user versus a business user.

The Droid "iDon't" commercial actually makes for the case of being the consumer level iPhone competitor better than any other one, as I stated before, because of the viral marketing.

 

[glamtek666]

I think you can find offensive stereotypes anywhere you look for them. In this day and age,with excessive PC ness abounding, no major corporation would release an ad like this without knowing EXACTLY what they were doing. Right down to the not so subliminal phallic imagery of bananas and missiles. Its a slap in the face to the form over function I-Clones. I am a gay man and I use a Mac for my computer, but I take no offense to this ad. I am surrounded by shallow pretty boys using I-Phones simply because they're pretty and everyone else has one. Personally, I need my tech toys to FUNCTION. ANd I think the Droid looks damned cool. I prefer its form to the rounded shiny white plastic look that has taken over EVERYTHING design wise as a result of the popularity of the I-Phone. Its a much needed breath of fresh air. Not to mention that this phone frickin ROCKS! Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[atomicwedgie]

HAHAAH Hilarity ensues! :icon_ banana:

oh wait was it offensive I used a erm... banana?

Ok I took your reply to represent that you find banana's humorous and since the male genitalia resembles said fruit I am therefore, heretofore and somethingelsefore insulted thus am requesting a four page apology explaining why you were wrong in your inclusion of said dancing fruit.

 

[Takami826]

:rofl3:

HAHAAH Hilarity ensues! :icon_ banana:

oh wait was it offensive I used a erm... banana?

Ok I took your reply to represent that you find banana's humorous and since the male genitalia resembles said fruit I am therefore, heretofore and somethingelsefore insulted thus am requesting a four page apology explaining why you were wrong in your inclusion of said dancing fruit.

:rofl3:

 

[atomicwedgie]

as a female, I see all these posts here so I went back and watched the ad again.

and again.

and did felt nothing but laughing at the humour, the absurdity and realised I agree with a previous response that it would have been a tad better throwing some apples into the saw blade instead of bananas

that said...

what I got out of this commercial, from a female perspective...

iPhone is trendy, pretty, the toy all the cool kids have... you can get all sorts of clothes for your iPhone, bedazzle it, status symbol kind of thing... fluff kind of like a teacup dog you can dress up and carry around with you to show all your friends.

droid is industrial. it's a sleek quiet sexy charm that's got the balls to do the stuff you want to do when you're on the move. It's too busy DOING the things you want and need it to do... gods help us if they ever make a pink one *barf* then again I've always hated pink...


erm I don't want to start a flame war but... I can ALMOST maybe see how some insanely sensitive types who are insecure in themselves will project some sexism into these commercials, but homophobic?! Good gods... really?! Sorry... this thread is hilarious.

You my dear, are my heroin! No, not the drug, the female version of a hero. Opps am I allowed to point out the sexual difference between the two?

Regardless... very well said and I am glad my screwup was pointed out so I had the chance to go back and read it.