Bell Canada Debuts Palm Pre Ad Campaign

Posted By: Tim Carroll Friday, August 21, 2009 10:09:56 AM

Bell Canada is bringing the Pre to North North America next week and has begun disseminating a couple of advertisements. The first 30 second clip bears a familiar format to a certain other company from the valley. We hope that Tamara Hope never sees Bell's Palm Pre ads, because watching this disembodied hand juggling all those apps might just freak her out with deja vu`... Of note is the Google Maps demonstration, which shows off landscape rotation aspect that doesn't actually exist yet. "Creative" marketing or upcoming feature? Catch the full clip after the break.

Bell has also created a more novel approach to introducing consumers to the device with its "Shake hands with the Palm Pre" video campaign. It is a nice alternative to the creepy, max headroom channeling ads that Sunnyvale has been backing to date. Episode 1 of this approach finds a enthusiastic spokesperson showing off the Pre and explaining its features in understandable terms to regular Canucks on the street.

YouTube Link

Thanks to PreThinking for the tip.

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Leave to the Loonies

2klbs @ 8/21/2009 10:58:29 AM #

To show their southern brothers up in effective advertising:

A minute and fifty-two seconds of clearly stating what the product is? Showing how "regular" people can relate to and use the product? Show advantages of easy of use and functionality? Reactive and revolutionary coexist well.

I imagine the overhead for the production was rather lower too, with nary an exploitation or irony of a cross-Pacific closed culture pushing an "open" Internet-based communications product.

Those are some smart guys up there- Hey Bell- interested in purchasing a slightly used but low priced US-based CDMA network?

End of Contract with Sprint- to become a "Pre-vert" or go Android?

RE: Leave to the Loonies

CFreymarc @ 8/21/2009 12:29:10 PM #

You have it right there. No off the wall graphics and no strange monologues. Just a simple "see how people react to the phone" that I'm sure was only three man-days max of work to get ready for show.

I would like to see the raw video of this shoot to see who they left out. Many advertisers will shoot for a few hours and then cherry pick the reactions they want to promote their agenda. The same goes with "man on the street" interviews when there is a political agenda being promoted.

RE: Leave to the Loonies

LiveFaith @ 8/21/2009 1:25:16 PM #

Lawd Jesus. How good are these? Ditto to the above comments. Makes me want one all over again Maybe Palm should hire Bell's people to do ads?
Pat Horne

RE: Leave to the Loonies

abosco @ 8/21/2009 4:09:14 PM #

Haha, I think they did a great job with both the on-air ad and the YouTube style short. I still think they need to make my original idea a reality:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/6806/#153335

But Bell should do well with this, so long as it's priced competitively up there.

-Bosco
m105 -> NX70v -> NX80v -> iPhone -> iPhone 3G

RE: Leave to the Loonies

mikecane @ 8/21/2009 4:19:47 PM #

Those vids are nice work. Instead of people "talking" (as in WTF?!!?) about the Pre, those people are shown WHY they should WANT one.

Note to Rubinstein: Ditch the avant-garde crap.

RE: Leave to the Loonies

abosco @ 8/21/2009 4:29:49 PM #

Did you buy one yet? If not, what are you getting? iPhone 4G-S HD?

-Bosco
m105 -> NX70v -> NX80v -> iPhone -> iPhone 3G

RE: Leave to the Loonies

2klbs @ 8/21/2009 5:37:31 PM #

@ abosco- was your query directed at me or the venerable Mr Cane?
End of Contract with Sprint- to become a "Pre-vert" or go Android?

RE: Leave to the Loonies

mikecane @ 8/22/2009 8:53:17 AM #

I haven't bought anything yet.

1) No Pre to fondle yet.

2) Not sure if iPhone will be stuck to AT&T after January, so it makes zero sense now to get an iPhone now even if I wanted one. Why get stuck with AT&T? (Yeah, yeah, bugger Visual Voicemail. Like that's a dealmaker or Killah App!)

3) 9/9/09 Apple better show a damned six-inch iPhone OS-powered iTablet, dammit. If they don't, I might wind up with that Archos 5" Android mini-tablet, price and specs willing.

4) And a 3G iPod Touch (9/9/09) is still in the running.

There, your stalker files are now up to date.

I hate technology buying.

RE: Leave to the Loonies

abosco @ 8/22/2009 10:46:01 AM #

So you're still using a Lifedrive. Dear god.

If Verizon gets the iPhone, it would be during next year's model launch. That's a year away. And why are you so worried about service, anyway? You live in the city. There wasn't a damn spot in all of Manhattan that didn't give me five bars. I felt like such a dumbass for living in the suburbs.

RE: Leave to the Loonies

mikecane @ 8/22/2009 5:23:28 PM #

The LifeDrive is beginning to deteriorate. Down buttoning doesn't always register now, dammit.

Manhattan has been a pit of AT&T signal problems. AT&T just announced they finished a big upgrade of 3G in Manhattan to take care of that (and one in San Francisco too). I'm still waiting to hear from actual iPhone owners in NYC.

RE: Leave to the Loonies

abosco @ 8/23/2009 10:53:36 AM #

I've seen several people want an iPhone, but due to the need to stay on Verizon, they ended up with an iPod Touch. It sounds like the best solution for you, especially since you have the commitment equivalent of George Costanza.

Or you could quit being a girl and pick up a 3G-S.

-Bosco
m105 -> NX70v -> NX80v -> iPhone -> iPhone 3G

RE: Leave to the Loonies

mikecane @ 8/23/2009 12:49:43 PM #

>>>Or you could quit being a girl and pick up a 3G-S.

Bah. Such lines might provoke your homies, but not me. FAIL!

RE: Leave to the Loonies

freakout @ 8/23/2009 3:27:07 PM #

especially since you have the commitment equivalent of George Costanza.

LOL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gjxnxKmaVQ

I can't wait for Curb Your Enthusiasm this year. Seinfeld reunion should be gold. Gold Jerry, gold!

RE: Leave to the Loonies

mikecane @ 8/23/2009 4:04:53 PM #

Seinfeld: a rube's idea of what life is like in NYC. Puhleeze. Stay on your farms and in your nowherevilles.

RE: Leave to the Loonies

abosco @ 8/23/2009 6:18:14 PM #

You're right. They showed too much steam in the streets, and not enough urine in the subway.

I saw Seinfeld do stand-up in Atlantic City last summer. Still hysterical.

RE: Leave to the Loonies

freakout @ 8/23/2009 8:36:58 PM #

^^ Bizarrely, Seinfeld returned to TV here in Australia recently, in an ad plugging a bank in Newcastle. Seemed like an odd choice...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YkAPkGkVrA

Compare and Contrast iPhone Ad Debut

2klbs @ 8/21/2009 4:37:57 PM #

There's a great thread over at Engadget debating if this was an Apple rip-off on style and substance. When I first saw the first reel I initially noted the similarity (it could be a template for most 'cel phone commercials now), until the end, when it showed what the iPhone *can't* do.

Those Canadian smarties have a very subtle and clever way of pointing out "wait, there's more"... errr, or, (dare I say): "And one more thing..."?
End of Contract with Sprint- to become a "Pre-vert" or go Android?

RE: Compare and Contrast iPhone Ad Debut

freakout @ 8/21/2009 5:12:32 PM #

Initially I didn't think aping the iPhone ads so closely would be a good idea (see bosco's link to a thread on the subject above). After seeing the result, though, I'm all for it. Especially in comparison to the feminine-hygiene-style ads.

Side note (and I hesitate to say it, 'cause I can't stand watching the geeks of the 'net blatantly ogle anything female in comment threads everywhere) but that girl at the end who says "She knows her s**t, eh?" is possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. Please make her your new spokeswoman Palm.

RE: Compare and Contrast iPhone Ad Debut

2klbs @ 8/21/2009 5:43:44 PM #

I'd put $20 on Spunky Canadian Girl in cage match against Tamara Hope any day.

Someone needs to copyright that phrase an/or make it a ringtone- it was classic and oddly endearing.
End of Contract with Sprint- to become a "Pre-vert" or go Android?

RE: Compare and Contrast iPhone Ad Debut

jca666us @ 8/22/2009 4:14:31 AM #

The ads are at least informative - compared to the Tamara Hope ads, and much better than the trashy "DUNKIN DONUTS IN SPACE!" ads from Sprint.

Aping the iphone ad is also clever, but something I see as more of a one shot.

Maybe I'm Just Cynical

DarthRepublican @ 8/21/2009 9:52:29 PM #

But these commercials seemed pretty blah to me. The first was an amateurish and lame attempt at replicating the iPhone ads which never really impressed me. The second was mostly a bunch of "eccentric" people whose opinion I don't care about opining based on thirty seconds spent using the Pre. Big deal.

I never understood the hostile reaction towards Palm's Pre commercials and I'm not sure why some people are gaga about these commercials. So far the only really good Pre commercial IMHO is Sprint's "Dunkin Donuts in Space!" commercial.
Screw convergence
Palm III->Visor Deluxe->Visor Platinum->Visor Prism->Tungsten E->Palm LifeDrive->Palm TX->Palm Pre
Visor Pro+VisorPhone->Treo 180g->Treo 270->Treo 600->Treo 680->T-Mobile G1->Palm Pre
http://mind-grapes.blogspot.com/

RE: Maybe I'm Just Cynical

DarthRepublican @ 8/21/2009 9:58:14 PM #

Replying to my own post because I hit the "Post Comment" button too soon...

I can't really say that the lack of decent ads has affected me much one way or the other. I learned everything I needed to know to decide I wanted a Pre from reading about it before the release and by playing with it a couple of times at Sprint stores before I committed to buy.

Maybe we just pay too much attention to these ads....
Screw convergence
Palm III->Visor Deluxe->Visor Platinum->Visor Prism->Tungsten E->Palm LifeDrive->Palm TX->Palm Pre
Visor Pro+VisorPhone->Treo 180g->Treo 270->Treo 600->Treo 680->T-Mobile G1->Palm Pre
http://mind-grapes.blogspot.com/

RE: Maybe I'm Just Cynical

SeldomVisitor @ 8/22/2009 4:17:04 AM #

For Palm, YOU paying attention to the ads is not meaningful. But if Joe Uninformed Consumer doesn't pay attention to the ads and take away name recognition of "Pre", they're non-effective and literally a waste of money.