Nokia pokes at Apple’s lack of color in new ad

In one of the most pointless and annoying attacks on a piece of technology I’ve ever seen, Nokia has launched a new ad campaign featuring a commercial that touts the available colors of its new Lumia 920, and nothing else (no, seriously, nothing else).

If you’re as annoyed by this as I am and don’t even want to watch it, the ad is as follows: a customer walks into the Apple store (presumably on launch day) to upgrade to the new iPhone, and asks the Apple employee if it’s available in any other colors. The Apple employee freaks the geek out, and the surrounding Apple sheep gawk at him outside of the store. He then sees a bunch of colorful people using Nokia Lumia devices.

This is nothing more than another instance of a manufacturer who is clearly envious of Apple’s success trying to use it against them – *ahem* Samsung. The worst part about this ad is that it doesn’t expand upon the additional features the 920 can provide (or ones the iPhone doesn’t), only highlighting the fact that it’s available in multiple colors. To me, that makes this ad even more annoying than Samsung’s ad, if that is at all possible. And at least Motorola (while being intentionally dishonest) tried to illustrate an actual fault of the new iPhone.

I don’t know about you, but I find the white and black colors of the iPhone timeless and professional. The Lumia 920 is attractive, but only as attractive as a Windows Phone device can be, given that nobody I know uses Windows Phone and developers don’t even like programming for it. I also feel like after a year, the shell of the Lumia 920 could become pretty chipped, which would show a lot more with bright colors. Never mind the fact that I’d likely get tired of the color before it wore off, anyway.

Do you wish the new iPhone looked more like the colorful new iPods? Or are you happy with the classic black and white finishes?

Via: Nokia @ Youtube

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Captainchris 7 pts

Windows phone is awesome. No one you know uses windows phone because they are probably all fanboys or fandroids. I can't get any of my friends to make the switch even though the operating system is amazing. - a happy (open minded) iPhone 5 user

BrainRoopull 19 pts

 Captainchris In all fairness, there aren't a lot of devices on the market, and salespeople are generally clueless.  I think that'll change a bit when the Lumia 920 hits the market.  I've been with Android for about a year, and while I like it well enough, I still feel there's plenty of room for it to improve.  iOS isn't really an option for me simply because I think the interface is absurd.  Even with WinMo 6.5, I could have a home screen with "widgets" and shortcuts.  We didn't call 'em "widgets" back then, but the principle was the same.  HTC's Sense (formerly TouchFlo) was born on WinMo, afterall.

Captainchris 7 pts

@BrainRoopull @Captainchris I really liked htc sense on my original Evo. But the whole system was just too buggy and cluttered. I thought I would miss widgets, but I really don't. I do agree with you though, iOS is starting to LOOK dated. It's so slick and refined that it doesn't FEEL dated to me, but I want them to refresh it. The wp7 selection is pretty poor, especially if you are not on AT&T and tmobile. Sprint only carried one model which I had and was the htc arrive. I fell head over heals for the platform but the hardware was very much sub par. They have since left behind windows phone all together. I would have waited for the lumina but sprint will not carry it. So I happily upgraded to the iPhone 5 which means I can't make the jump to windows phone for at least 2 years. Oh, and another thing, I HATE big phones, but all of the new phones that aren't monsters have inferior specs and that drives me nuts! The iPhone 5 hit my sweet spot for size perfectly.

PhoneDog_Taylor 7 pts

Ironic that you mention the color "chipping" when my iPhone 5 came pre-scratched, gouged and chipped. 

 

And color is important. It's Nokia promoting something it has always done to differentiate itself from the drab black and white competition. That doesn't speak for the lack of emotion inspired by the ad. But if you are shown a number of phones and only one or two of them show color, which will stick in memory longer? If you're shown all of the phones at once, which will catch your eye first.

 

Color is what Windows Phone needs to: 1) stick out amongst the sea of black, gray and white phones on a retail level and 2) compliment its colorful and refreshing interface.

 

But what I really can't wrap my head around is why Samsung and, in this case, Nokia are slammed for … slamming the competition. Apple is notorious for making slights towards its competitors during press events. "Anyone can make a bigger smartphone …" Oh, that's right. It's funny when Apple does it.

Jellotime91 9 pts

 PhoneDog_Taylor 

That's definitely a possibility with the new iPhones. I just think a brighter, coloured phone would make damage more visible. 

 

You're right that colour makes the device stick out, but for me personally, I can see myself getting tired of one colour. With the iPhone I have never felt that the colour of the device was of much importance (aside from a white face making the content harder to see in daylight). I think the content on the device should stand out on its own. 

 

I think there's a difference between developer conferences and keynotes, and consumer-level advertisements. Granted, Apple's keynotes have a heavy consumer viewership, but they are held for developers, shareholders, and press outlets. Motorola, Samsung, and Nokia are all basing entire ad campaigns on attacking one competitor. Even when Apple does make slights against the competition, they usually talk about what makes their product better. They don't just talk about what sucks about the other guy. 

 

Even if you choose to go down the attack route, there are much bigger issues to attack Apple on than the lack of colour. Why don't they do what Motorola did and highlight a major flaw in the new iPhone? They could've talked about how the Lumia 920 is an incredible camera, beating the iPhone 5 hands down with its purple lens flare. They could've talked about how Nokia Maps is one of the world's best mapping services, absolutely slaughtering Apple's Maps. 

 

I probably should've elaborated on this in the article. 

@PhoneDog_Taylor Our phone has color. The best selling phone doesnt. No offense but if you think this is effective, you should write more Nokia commercials. You would be cheaper but just as dumb.

PhoneDog_Taylor 7 pts

 PhoneDog_Taylor First of all, who is "Our phone" in reference to? Who is "our"?

 

Second, I have absolutely no idea what your comment even means or is suggesting.

BrainRoopull 19 pts

I think the ad is rather boring, but I think it's pointing out something more than just color.  When I first started watching it, I couldn't help but remember the Apple ads from the 80s that were very similar in tone.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHyfUuaDmxw*insert obligatory ironic comment here*If you don't get the irony, you should quit reading & writing about the tech industry. 

Jellotime91 9 pts

 BrainRoopull 

I definitely can see the parallels. The thing is, I am getting tired of that metaphor. It's quite old. 

 

If you'll read my previous article, you'd see that I'm not a blind Apple fanboy. I can see Apple's failures plain and simple, and I'm not afraid to speak out against them. I just don't like the kind of ads that their competitors make against them. 

 

Show off your own product instead of bashing another one. 

BrainRoopull 19 pts

 Jellotime91   I agree with you...  The finest example of a company with that mentality is Coca-Cola.  If you watch a Coca-Cola commercial, you'd think they're the only beverage maker on Earth.  If you watch a Pepsi Commercial, half of them are about Coke!  

JoshuaTewell 12 pts

 Jellotime91  BrainRoopull The problem with this article, is that this is not the only Nokia commercial there is.  It quite effectively explains the difference in choices.  There are and will be others that address other issues, but in a day and age where smartphone tech is plateauing, it really could be a big enough deal for someone to switch to another manufacturer based on color alone.  All of our phones do lots and lots of stuff, now.  Why can't we differentiate ourselves?

rhymiZ 14 pts

This website is hosted by a bunch of fan boys that pretend to be about technology

KVKdragon 10 pts

I find the ad ridiculously stupid. Big whoop that the Lumia comes in ugly colors without a case. People typically put  a case on their smartphones anyways and colors are available in many varieties. This ad was poorly marketed. And even if the iPhone came in a colors that weren't the usual black and white, I doubt anyone would freak out unless the usual black and white color options weren't available anymore

Sorry but there isnt many people who are looking for neon colored phones, the primary colors are black and white and more people would buy black and white.

JoshuaTewell 12 pts

And where are your citations for this statistical data?

SkyPira 30 pts

and if this author wasnt so ignorant, they would know that the lumias have fullbody color, so that even when chipped and scratched, the color stays constant and will never wear off. this article is more "annoying" than the actual ad. 

Jellotime91 9 pts

 SkyPira I don't think I'm "ignorant". I would've known that if Nokia had touched on that at all in their ad. 

SkyPira 30 pts

 Jellotime91  why would they focus on that? did apple mention their new sapphire lens when advertising the new iphone's panoramic mode? no. its irrelevant.  

Jellotime91 9 pts

 SkyPira Good point. I still think the ad should've at least shown one feature unique to the device besides colors. Even the new iPod commercials are more thorough than that. 

Dosen't look like theirs any more than colors here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoBPUnCYDvM Jellotime91  SkyPira

Jellotime91 9 pts

 SkyPira That ad clearly focuses on the iPod's ability to play music. The entire ad is musically-focused, using the colours as an assisting design element. I'm not a fan of this commercial either, but at least it's not a commercial about how a rival mp3 player doesn't have circular icons or something else pointless. 

Drizzio 5 pts

@Jellotime91 @SkyPira If you are getting this worked up at ads that poke fun of your precious iPhone, you are clearly a fanboy.

SkyPira 30 pts

 Drizzio  Jellotime91  thats exactly what im saying. you shouldnt be getting so worked up. and by the way, did you read my comments? im on your side of the fence here. 

SkyPira 30 pts

 Jellotime91 i think you replied to the wrong person. you know, DroidBoy's comment?

nothinginacan 6 pts

I thought this was a genuine ad attacking an obvious gap in Apple's marketing. Why so serious?

 nothinginacan Because he's a hipster. From Canada. A Canadian hipster. 

BrainRoopull 19 pts

 nothinginacan Really?  Is there something wrong with Canadians I should know about?

 

SkyPira 30 pts

wow. what a crazy article. this author gets so defensive and freaked out over a single ad. what, apple has to have the best ads as well? this site is ridiculous its funny.

Jellotime91 9 pts

 SkyPira Well, if you checked out my previous article, you'd know I'm not an Apple sycophant. I just find it absurd for one company to attack another on a matter of pure taste.

 

Thanks for your comment.

SkyPira 30 pts

 Jellotime91 well, im not a apple hater. i just find it absurd for someone go explode and degrade another company's product quality and programming/development progress simply because they find an ad "annoying".

Jellotime91 9 pts

 SkyPira I didn't "explode" at all. Sorry you feel that way. 

SkyPira 30 pts

 Jellotime91 if not explode, then you did get very worked up. see the middle two paragraphs? sorry you dont realize it.

JoshuaTewell 12 pts

 Jellotime91  It's not a matter of taste...but a matter of selection, choices, options.  iPhone has 2.

MikeGooden 7 pts

I find it funny how hostile this blog is lol

SkyPira 30 pts

 MikeGooden i agree. its crazy!

Jellotime91 9 pts

 MikeGooden My opinions don't represent the entirety of TodaysiPhone.com. I'm not that hostile, I just find this particular behaviour absurd. They didn't even mention what's great about their product, just the superficial exterior. It's idiotic. 

BrainRoopull 19 pts

 Jellotime91  MikeGooden I've been following TiP for a while, and have always considered it a breath of fresh air when compared with much of TiP's competition.  That being said, the last month or so has had a real surge of what I'd label "fanboy nonsense" that seems very new to TiP.  I'm not simply referring to this post, Jellotime.  If you're getting some backlash, it might be because the iPhan posts at TiP are starting to grate on people's nerves.  One of my first comments to a story here was praising the writer of an article for objective views...  I quit following Gizmodo after a similar, but much more marked disintegration into iPhanboyism.   Keep it real...