Droid ad calls iPhone a "pageant queen"

updated 10:45 pm EST, Thu December 3, 2009

New Droid ad airs, BOGO deal tomorrow

Verizon tonight cut deep by launching a new ad (seen below) for the Motorola Droid. The new spot directly attacks the iPhone and calls Apple's handset a "digitally clueless pageant queen," making fun of its focus on style and even mocking the glass case Apple used to display the phone at its launch in 2007. It meanwhile thrives on the Droid's powerful, masculine image and, among other things, suggests that the smartphone is "racehorse duct-taped to a Scud missile fast."

The commercial is a more direct approach for Verizon, which criticized Apple in its "iDon't" teasers but has until now shied away from Droid-to-iPhone comparisons after release. The approach is nonetheless consistent with an aggressive approach that has put an interactive ad in Times Square and attacked AT&T's 3G coverage even during the brief interval when Verizon was facing a since-cancelled lawsuit.

Competition is only expected to get more intense as a late rumor claims Verizon is expanding its Buy One Get One (BOGO) deal to include Android phones. Previously limited to BlackBerry phones, those who buy a Droid or Droid Eris are expected to get an extra Droid Eris for free. LG enV Touch and enV3 buyers should also see a similar deal, BGR says. Both deals should start on Friday and run until Christmas.

By Electronista Staff

(46)

TAGS :

iPhone, industry, Verizon, Android, LG, BlackBerry, Motorola, enV, mobile phones, Apple, Droid

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Raman

Mac Elite

Joined: Mar 2001

+30

12/03, 11:10pm | report spam | close reply

comment title

My Beauty Pageant Queen 1) doesn't make fun of the other ugly contestants 2) lets me multitask by using other applications while I'm on the phone (to view/edit appointments in iCal, etc.)

CmdrGampu

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2009

+19

12/03, 11:30pm | report spam | (2 replies) close | reply

It's over

There's no hope of ever seeing a Verizon iPhone or even the rumored tablet running on Verizon's network after this. Steve will never forget and never forgive a vicious frontal attack like this. Oh, well. Here's hoping for a T-Mobile iPhone next year.

Joe Story

Joined: Dec 2009

+38

12/03, 11:45pm | report spam | close reply

SCUD????

Don't those dumb clowns realize that the SCUD was the Russian-built missle used by Iraq in the Gulf War, which often thudded to the ground on its side, and had all the acuracy of a rubber band gun?

Choose your metaphors carefully.

Comment buried. Show

wrenchy

Joined: Nov 2009

-44

12/04, 12:27am | report spam | (2 replies) close | reply

ROFL!

Geez, all you princess's are all so upset! Are you going to start crying to Evil Steve now?? I bet you can't wait to witness Evil Steve's wrath upon Verizon for such blasphemy!

And oh, the SCUD missile thing. You princess's should lighten up! It's just an ad. Don't over analyse, saying things like "Choose your metaphors carefully". Yes it's Russian built and used in Iraq. So what? Hitler commissioned the Volkswagen program in 1933, and how many of you Americans drive those??

Dudeit

+24

12/04, 12:28am | report spam | close reply

Exactly, Joe Story

When you say "thudded to the to ground", you are assuming that the Scud actually launched at all.

So, Verizon's marketing department is essentially saying that the Droid is as fast an unreliable 1960's-era Communist-designed, short-range missile with 1400 pounds of weight attached to it. That's an insult to horses.

Horse owners everywhere must be so pleased and rushing right out to Verizon stores right now.

chirpy22

Junior Member

Joined: Jan 2006

+12

12/04, 12:40am | report spam | close reply

what?

This ad is awful. It's not a princess, it's a robot. ??
You know, I thought the first Droid commercial was put together pretty well, but this is just silly.

Coldsmoke

+17

12/04, 12:49am | report spam | close reply

An act of desperation

This ad shows how desperate Verizon is to be considered legitimate with the Droid.
They're idiots. They should focus on marketing their strong points instead of slinging mud. It reminds me of a local political campaign.

Bobfozz

Joined: Jul 2008

+18

12/04, 12:56am | report spam | close reply

I'm laughing

Verizon is trying hard... they are funny... who on earth is going to believe this ad? No one except simps. They are wasting money but the concept is hilarious.

Giving away phones in buy one get one's is really a marvelous idea isn't it? Makes the numbers look big.

There might be ONE way Steve will forgive them: if he cuts a deal with them that makes their gonads hurt just thinking about Apple, positively or negatively. But Verizon apparently wants to blow this possibility of a deal, twice. This MAY make AT&T work harder to ramp up their service and then Verizon will begin to lose customers.

They must be hurting to try so hard.

starwarrior

Joined: Mar 2006

12/04, 07:14am | report spam | close reply

Droid 2 fro 1

Verizon blinked. Droid is now offered 2 for 1 in Florida. Other wannabes have gone down the same path.

DanielSw

12/04, 07:42am | report spam | close reply

Scuds on drugs

Totally deluded. Those who hired this agency. Those who came up with this "bright" idea. Those who approved it.

iphonerulez

Joined: Nov 2008

12/04, 08:16am | report spam | close reply

Well, the market flooding of Android

devices is already beginning. They're not wasting anytime to get serious market share. There's going to be so much market confusion with Android, it won't be funny. Android is going to put the final nail in Windows Mobile and effectively killing that platform for good. Google is doing a great service for the consumer by eating up the bottom end of the smartphone market. BOGO sure came fast. I'm sure glad Apple has the App Store and iTunes content to protect it from the hordes of Android devices, at least for the time being.

gambit-7

Joined: Feb 2001

-6

12/04, 08:36am | report spam | (1 reply) close | reply

Verizon is a loser:

"and will lose the battle.... You can never win this way.."

That's not true; Apple's Get a Mac ads bash PCs, and it's working for Apple.

/just saying

ibugv4

Joined: Jun 2003

-9

12/04, 08:53am | report spam | (2 replies) close | reply

After reading these comments

I'm not so certain I really want to stick with GSM anymore. Perhaps I will go to Verizon.

kerryb

Joined: Aug 2001

+14

12/04, 09:13am | report spam | close reply

I want a guy phone!

It is obvious this add is aimed at young men (boys) 14 to 21 that haven't realized their inner fantasy is to marry a beauty queen someday. The rough and tough graphics with plenty of things that "blow up real good" is perfect imagery for these guys. In a funny way this ad is more about style over substance than any of the iPhone ads have been. You don't really get to see the phone until the final seconds and guess what it looks like the iPhone or many of the clones out there already. This is a lifestyle fantasy ad and does nothing to inform us on the advantages of the Droid other than its a guy phone that wont emasculate you when you are asking your mom what she is making for dinner.

rickcj

12/04, 09:43am | report spam | close reply

Hmmm

Drive down Verizon market share, then Apple buys them for a song. Just a thought.

climacs

Joined: Sep 2001

12/04, 09:44am | report spam | close reply

whatever

pretty much everyone who has an iPhone, RAVES about it. I farking LOVE mine and you could never pry it out of my hands, certainly not for some brand-new version 1.0 Motorola POS which may or may not be a good phone.

Have fun on the bleeding edge!

c4rlob

Joined: May 2009

12/04, 10:32am | report spam | close reply

Apple's voodoo

I'm starting to think that Apple many years ago sold its soul to some Sorceress of Marketing in exchange for a special power that dooms all competitors to have senseless sabotaging ad campaigns and marketing.

Dumb idea to tilt your ad toward such a violent masculine image. You not only alienate women, but you alienate all the men who care about impressing women or fathers looking for family plan phones or men looking for phones as gifts for their girlfriends, wives, or daughters. The only men left are the hard-a** loners or socially awkward - great strategy Verizon. This ad is dumb on so many levels that the airhead-princess label applies more to it than to an iPhone; except it doesn't even have beauty going for it.

DRayMIS

12/04, 11:21am | report spam | (1 reply) close | reply

Maybe the Scud is a good metaphor for Droid

The Scud is a wildly inaccurate missile with a bad reputation of blowing up on the launch pad or getting shot down by missile defense systems.

If Verizon wanted to *not* sound like a clueless douche, they would have used the metaphor of a missile that actually hits the target every time, like the Hellfire or Tomahawk, or a powerful beast you never want to fired at you, the Trident II ICBM.

Instead, they chose a weak, impotent missile that wannabe superpower states use to threaten their more powerful opponents.

Thinking about it that way, maybe the Scud was the best metaphor for the Droid.

eddd

Joined: Dec 2001

12/04, 12:35pm | report spam | close reply

ugh

I feel like I'm watching an ad for pickup trucks, like those Ford ads - I wonder if it's the same agency?

And yeah, I think the duct tape, horse and SCUD missile image is probably right on. In other words, the thing's an outmoded, outdated, taped-together kludge. They even emphasize the tape! In their attempt to be cool, I think they may be creating an image that's decidedly not.

And these ads seem very gender-specific, as if the Droid is a man's phone and the iPhone is a girl's. Way to offend half your market, boys!

OpenOSX

12/04, 01:16pm | report spam | close reply

Laughing all the way to the bank

Good thing I didn't have anything in my mouth when I viewed that - or it would have ended up on my screen.

I think that "racehorse duck-tapped to a scud missile" analogy is one of the greatest advertising blunders of all time. Duck tape implies poor quality, a race horse duck tapped is, well, is stuck, and we all know how laughable the scud missile is. Combine them all together and it paints absolutely ridiculous mental imagery.

I think whoever came up with that must be an iPhone owner, and pulled a fast one of the clueless executives. I bet he is laughing all the way to the bank.

byRyan

Joined: Jun 2007

12/04, 01:18pm | report spam | close reply

Missile

if you ask me... forget comparing this thing to russian missiles. I think this is much more like a north korean missile... Yup, the droid is like a Type O' Dong... no wait... Taepodong.

ggirton

Joined: Nov 1999

12/04, 01:23pm | report spam | close reply

duct tape

i have always loved duct tape and missiles, but I would rather carry a beauty pageant queen with me at all times, hold her in my hand whisper in her ear and caress her gently. And let us not speak at this time of downloading apps.

I look forward to further comparison Ads from Apple. They are so often filled with wit. Apple Ads make you laugh, not barf!

nativeNYer

Joined: Apr 2005

12/04, 01:29pm | report spam | close reply

What wonderful imagery

Duct tape and scud missiles. Wow, Verizon, you really have a winner there :rollseyes:

VZW seems to be pigeonholing their DROID into the manly man category. Foolish move. Didn't they see recent surveys that show a majority of smart phone buyers are women, who like a nice looking device? Anyway, their attack is pretty false, since we all know the iPhone is one of the most capable smart phones on the market. Good thing they don't mention the iPhone directly or this could be deemed false advertising.

dpicardi

Forum Regular

Joined: Sep 2006

12/04, 02:14pm | report spam | close reply

Agreed...

The Droid marketing campaign just misses completely. The only good ad Verizon has run is the "we have a map for that" campaign...which never highlights the Droid.

If they had decent marketing this phone might actually do decently well. Right now it is being steered toward testosterone-filled males...which is stupid since you cut out more than 50% of the target audience by alienating women.

What woman you know what's a scud missile in their handbag?

Absolutely retarded marketing.

12/04, 04:20pm | report spam | close reply

doesn't Verizon know

guys who drive around in hopped-up oversized pickup trucks are usually insecure small-dicked a*******.

Is this who they are trying to appeal to? Guys who are insecure about their masculinity and have to overcompensate?

Fast iBook

Joined: Mar 2003

12/05, 12:43am | report spam | close reply

Uhm...

Has anyone here actually held an iPhone (any model), and hen messed with a droid? I gotta say for a "robot" the droid sure is a flimsy piece of junk compared to -every.. single.. other.. slider- out there.

As for digitally clueless, can your droid send texts while you're talking on the phone, or more importantly, on hold, or using aGPS?

I knew the droid was a joke the moment i read the specs online and laughed, but this just seals the deal. They are trying to make a CDMA slider phone seem like it is a tough actual robot that has AI. My sides are hurting from laughing!!!!

- A

cryptognome

12/05, 12:13pm | report spam | close reply

iPhone?

Did anyone else notice how Verizon hedged their bet by not using an actual iPhone? Notice the feminine curves, no doubt inspired by the "princess" analogy. Maybe it just sells their point, but it also leaves wiggle room should litigation ensue. Or maybe they think it leaves the door open a crack for negotiations with Apple, though the distinction wouldn't likely win any points.

dliup

12/05, 07:27pm | report spam | close reply

Awesome comments guys!

I've expanded on the comments and found that Verizon calls their own Droid phone "pretty."

Long analysis on the vzw ad fail:
http://obamapacman.com/2009/12/new-verizon-ad-fail-iphone-beautiful-droid-kludge-which-side-are-they-on/

=)

hermex

12/06, 03:29pm | report spam | close reply

Panty-waist little fairy phone

If it were subtle enough to be called a subtext, the subtext of this ad is that the iPhone is super-g**, and if you don't want to get beaten up (like the mannequins) you better get a droid.

simdude

Joined: Jun 2004

12/07, 10:43am | report spam | close reply

Poor choice Verizon

Ok, you started by taking shots at AT&T. Fair enough. There's plenty to complain about. But I don't know very many people that own an iPhone that wouldn't buy again in a heartbeat. I'm sure there are some that won't. There always are. But from a hardware/os view, people love this thing. I don't claim it's perfect. I would love to listen to Pandora radio and open the web browser. Can't do that. You CAN listen to itunes and open the browser so this isn't an OS limitation. Just a choice Apple made probably to keep poorly written 3rd party apps from running unknowingly and killing the battery?

In any case, it's still the best overall phone out there. As others beat it in certain areas, it will be improved. And the lead Apple has with over 100000 apps is something that no other phone will be able to catch up to for years.

I'm not sure if Verizon is shooting themselves in the foot here or not. Apple takes shots at Microsoft in their ads, but they NEED MS Office and promote it on their own store and sites. It's a reality of business. If Apples contract with AT&T expires, they won't turn away any carrier that can help sell 55 million more phones.

But don't assume AT&T will always have poor coverage either. They know they have a window to improve and many areas are already better. You know they have to have this as a high priority.

People need to separate out the marketing c*** that is on TV from what happens behind the scenes. Sometimes I wonder if anyone on these boards actually works at a real company. Some marketing weenie must be laughing in her office when she reads the reaction from a marketing campaign. "Ahh, the fools are so easily manipulated. And this is all I had to do to get people talking about our product".

henjin

Joined: May 2007

-1

12/09, 01:28pm | report spam | close reply

Great advert

It will not make me give up my iPhone 3GS 32Gb but it is an amazing advert and the Motorola looks good. AT&T will lose customers. Apple should heed this advert as an early warning that they can't afford to sit back. If they don't up the quality they will be in trouble.

I love the iPhone platform but it's beginning to feel like OS7. Not bad considering the majority of phones are like DOS. But the new Motorola looks great. Of course it would not hurt Apple to bring out a keyboard iPhone with a 10mp, 1080HD video.

But again great advert, great claims and now perhaps Jobs will stop choking the iPhone and let it rip.. remember how long it took him to see that Apps were our choice over webapps and how long it took him to allow us to download songs?

I doubt the Android platform will be a threat until the apps are as comprehensive but it's closer than you guys might think. Jobs nearly killed Apple the first time because he wanted to control everything, even down to not allowing expansion cards in the first computers. Now we can't change batteries across the whole product line. Not good.

Anyway back to my iPhone; it's a great mini computer.

12/11, 08:45pm | report spam | close reply

re: Agreed...

[quote]What woman you know what's a scud missile in their handbag? [/quote]

I don't know, but I stick my scud missile in my woman's handbag every night.
...
Wait, that's also a bad metaphor.

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