Nokia tries attacking Android and iPhone in ads

Nokia has tried an unusual pseudo-guerilla marketing campaign in the run-up to the Smartphone Beta Test shows mock, backdated videos of protagonist Gary unsuccessfully trying to convince two co-workers that design flaws are important. One, "Death Grip," tries to revive the now non-existent iPhone 4 issue by chastising Gary for "holding it wrong."

Another, "Fragile," is ostensibly dated to 2007 but is more about the iPhone 4 and 4S being prone to breaks. An "Outside" spot makes fun of some Android phones' OLED screens and their propensity to become unreadable outside, with Gary's companions suggesting that the screen was fine as long as he only ever used the phone inside.

The page doesn't directly reference Nokia, but giveaways come through the combination of a countdown to April 6, just ahead of the Lumia 900 launch, along with Nokia references in the site source.

Nokia's campaign is an unusual start to what's supposed to be AT&T's largest launch ever, which should include a multi-week ad blitz and heavily subsidized phone prices. While a $100 maximum contract price should help the Lumia 900, Windows Phone's current poor showing and Nokia's mostly absent presence in US smartphones have left any success uncertain. Choosing to use arguments that either haven't been relevant for some time, or which were never major obstacles, may not have much effect in hoping to argue that the "beta" is over and the Lumia 900 is the finished product.

By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, industry, Google, Nokia, AT&T, Android, mobile phones, Apple, Windows Phone, Lumia