Update 2: Finally, the video has been found and added at the bottom.
Update: Thanks to TV Squad for taking my tip. I’m still looking for the video.
I’m watching the Magic game and at halftime there is a new version of the ABC House commercials they’ve been running (which are brilliant by the way) and it shows Dominic Monaghan, Charlie from LOST, playing foosball with Courtney Cox, who has a new show this fall. At one point in the commercial someone says to Monaghan “Aren’t you dead?” to which he replies “I was.” After seeing the video again, I realize that my recollection was slightly off. Towards the end Patrick Dempsey, challenging Dominic Monaghan, says “you’re so dead” to which Monaghan replies “actually, I was.”
Ok, what?
We all watched Charlie drown at the end of season three. It was horrible. He sacrificed himself to destroy the Looking Glass so the Freighter could be contacted. But what’s with this tease? “I was.” Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have been critical of ABC for creating LOST promotions and commercials in the past that tend to offer more information then they like, could this be an example?
We’re at the beginning of nine very long months before the final season of LOST begins and almost zero hints were dropped in the finale as to what could potentially happen. But Charlie coming back? It would explain why Hurley has been carrying around the guitar case since returning to the Island. Does that mean setting off the bomb really did reset things? Oh man this is going to drive me nuts.
A few days ago I asked for suggestions for Valentine’s Day content. Wayne suggested I talk about the strange shinny vest and belt David Maus wears in his new commercial. Who’s David Maus? He owns a bunch of car dealerships in Central Florida and stars in all of his own commercials. In his newest one he’s wearing a very shiny vest. It’s odd.
But here’s what’s even more odd. I was searching YouTube for David Maus videos to show the shinny vest here and came across something completely unexpected. It’s a music video (kinda) about a local radio host’s new David Maus Toureg. Completely random, I know. While it might not be David Maus’s shinny vest, it is… something. It actually reminds me a music video I made in high school to the song “RPM” by Sugar Ray. How baller is that?
Polyphonic Spree or Snuggie commercial? You be the judge.
There is a plague sweeping our land; a terrible ill that cannot be stopped. We’re being attacked by the Snuggie. The Sunggie is an evil piece of cloth, in some circles known as a harmless blanket, with a menacing addition: sleeves.
Ok. It’s not exactly that terrifying, but it is pretty silly. I’m sure you’ve seen the infomercial — they seem to be everywhere lately. The thing about it is, and I’m sure someone on marketing side figured this out and was snickering the whole time, the thing looks like a freaking cult robe. I’m talking, full on drink the Kool-Aid cult. Throughout the infomercial people wearing the Snuggie are doing normal things — watching TV, reading books, roasting marshmellows — but because they’re wearing the Snuggie it looks like it’s all cult activity.
It actually reminds me of the first time I saw the Polyphonic Spree. I was watching Conan O’Brien back when Light and Day was being used for the VW commercials. Anyway, they were on Conan wearing their robes and playing happy music while bouncing balls in the air. I decided right then and there that the Polyphonic Spree was a cult. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I mean they seemed happy.
Flash forward back to the Snuggie. Now I could be wrong, and I probably am, but what if the Snuggie was the marketing end of the Polyphonic Spree? A new way to get people to think the robes are acceptable, so they can return to the mainstream and peddle their wears? Probably not. But it’d be cool, right?
It wasn’t too long ago that I mentioned Microsoft was launching a new ad campaign with Jerry Seinfeld. Yesterday they announced they were moving into “phase two” of the campaign. It was all media spin trying to hide the fact that the $300 million marketing blitz failed horribly because no one really knew what Microsoft was trying to do. The first of the new ads started showing up online today. While it is better than the Seinfeld ads, it’s still not really all that great. As Gruber puts it:
Pathetic. So sad. This campaign (which is utterly unconnected to the Seinfeld spots) might as well be titled “Please stop making fun of Windows, Apple.”
What do you think? Is this one better than the last set? Drop one in the comments.
Update: This link is too funny not to share. AppleInsider reports that Microsoft can’t even use their own software to create their ad campaign. I guess they’re not only out of touch with their customers but their product as well. Oh well.
Today Apple made some waves and refreshed all of their iPods and dropped iTunes 8 onto the intertubes. Considering none of the “announcements” were surprises due to Apple’s new lack of leak plugs, I was ready to try out the Genius feature before I knew that I could. Did you follow that? I hope so because I’m not going to try and re-write it. Anyway, the Genius feature is pretty good, pretty intuitive and puts together a nice playlist based on the selected song. It couldn’t, though, put together a playlist based on the Dr. Horrible soundtrack. Oh well.
But this isn’t going to be a review of iTunes 8 and the Genius feature. It’s a look at the name itself. I’ve got a huge problem with it. Other sites around the web are arguing over Apple’s use of the word “funnest” in their new iPod marketing, but I think the use of Genius is a much bigger mistake on Apple’s part.
Anyone who has ever walked into an Apple Store knows that the word Genius is not new to Apple. Apple uses the word to describe it’s tech support people. Computer broke? iPod showing the sad face? Go see a Genius at your local Genius Bar. Makes sense considering a genius should know what to do. Apple has effectively branded the word genius to demote support for your Mac. Now, with the launch of iTunes 8, they are telling us that it also means something that can pick songs for you. I mean, it’d be stupid to walk into the closest Apple Store, wait in line, and then ask a Genius to recommend some music for you. But maybe that’s what Apple want’s us all to do.
I might be looking too much into this, but I think Apple is making a mistake here. The iTunes feature could have easily been called something else leaving the Genius moniker for the support folks at the local store. What do you think? Did Apple make a mistake using the word Genius or am I just overreacting? Let me know in the comments.
But this isn’t going to be a review of iTunes 8 and the Genius feature. It’s a look at the name itself. I’ve got a huge problem with it.