Okay empeg folks, now that you're a part of the sonicblue team, it's time for them to start helping you out. I've seen 2 different Rio commercials on VH1 in the past week. I have to say I'm very dissapointed in their "I'm listening" campaign (or whatever the slogan is). It's really ineffective and people who are unfamiliar with the product have no idea what they're selling.

What we really need is a shot of someone listening to their music with full visuals running, then a shot of them pulling their stero out of their car and bringing it inside. Simple and effective!

Tell the S3/sonicblue folks that their advertising is, to say politely, lacking.

DiGNAN

Have you considered that empeg is producing empegs as fast as they can already? Advertising will increase the demand greatly, and they may not have enough manufacturing capacity or personel to support the increased demand yet? Give it some time.

Calvin

I won't argue the pros and cons of different advertising styles, however the commercials you have seen are the first of a $10m campaign that will run for the next several weeks. I like this style very much, and anything that grows the brand will help the car player.

The dedicated car player marketing is happening at a different level, on a scale that massively exceeds anything empeg has ever been able to achieve. Over the next few months you'll see the car player all over the media, backed with editorial that will get the message across to our niche market far better than a 20 second commercial.

By the way, the marketing leader for this product at Rio does read the BBS :-)

Rob

In that case perhaps he would want to send free samples
of all of the Rio product line to the BBS maintainer to
play with

I saw one of those Rio commercials last night as a matter of fact.

I don't remember much about the commercial itself. What struck me the most was that it immediately followed an "artists against piracy" spot.



___________
Tony Fabris

That's certainly interesting. Hey, I didn't really think empeg needed that kind of publicity at the moment, but I was a bit suprised that the commercial was so minimalist. I understand the angle they're going for, but couldn't a shot of the actual product help?

I will say that I was cool to think that a company big enough to advertise nationally had bought a small company I had been so familiar with.

But hey, if there are more ad ideas on the way, I'll wait till I see them.

ps-didn't mean to sound so harsh about the commercials...uh...keep up the good work!

DiGNAN

I know exactly what they're doing, baiting the hook with more informative commercials to come. If you re-read my reply it's sarcastic in nature by far. The ad technique is not new, but it can work.

Empeg has been there using the queuing system earlier this year but are caught up now. S3 I'm sure is use to this by now.

#090000695 Mk2 BLUE 12Gig
Ask and I may tell you

This particular advertising campaign is, as far as I know, intended to reinforce and build upon the Rio brand rather than any specific product. With so many companies trying to get a piece of the MP3 pie it is important that consumers have your name in the front of their minds when shopping for a product.

Damn, I'm starting to sound like a real marketing guy

This is less likely to sway potential purchasers of the car player - editorial will be everything. Let's hope the reviewers are impressed!

Rob

Okay, I'm starting to come around.

I've seen 2 Rio commercials so far.
-One just of this guy in a jacket with a baseball cap on who's standing in front of a white background, has headphones on, and is giving a slightly smug look to the camera. It shows him on screen for about 8 seconds, then switches to some words that say "I'm Listening". Then switches to "Rio". I didn't really like this one.
-The second one I saw was exactly like the first one but I like for one reason: It had George Clinton in it!! It only shows him like from the nose up, so I think that's who it is. I mean, who else has dreads like that?

Oh well, whatever Rio wants to do is what they'll do.

DiGNAN

There are quite a line up of celebs due to appear in Rio ads, some of them rather thought provoking. Keep watching! :-)

There are quite a line up of celebs due to appear in Rio ads, some of them rather thought provoking.

No, tell me you didn't get Shatner. (shudder)

___________
Tony Fabris

Shurly it should be Troy McClure, who you may remember from such films as "The Boatjacking of Supership 79" and "Hydro, the Man With the Hydraulic Arms"!

Paul.

Paul Haigh, Reg. 4120
(mk1) 6GB, Blue, 00254
(mk2) 12GB, Red, 00357

Ah... but alas, the Great Troy McClure is no more. One of the great comedic loses of all time...Phil Hartman the man the legend. =]


|| loren.cox
|| 080000446

Hmm, just saw one with KD Lang. They're certianly going for some interesting celebs there.

Hey, suggest to that marketing guy that they get Chris Cornell to do a shot! I would buy 2 Rio's if they did that! (but that's just me, most people have no idea who he is).

Oh, and Rob, could you ask the guy who the aisian guy in one of the first segments is? If he's a musician, I've never seen him before. It would seem strange if he were just some random ad actor, seeing as how all the other commercials have famous people in them. Just curious.

DiGNAN

By the way, does anyone have any info on the Rio 800? It's listed on their website with info coming soon.

DiGNAN

Check deeper in the Rio page of the Sonic Blue site!
There are profiles of all "celebs" in this campaign.........(he's a D.J.)

Mk2 #105 12g blue
Car install complete...........Boat forthcoming

Yeah, I saw that, but it's not the same person.

DiGNAN

I passed your question to Rio Marketing Communications, and here's their reply:

DJ Qbert - his name makes reference to a popular video arcade game in the
80's. He is a very popular DJ, who hales from San Francisco. He's important
to Rio because he represents a non-mainstream group of digital audio
enthusiasts.

As one of the first artists to "mix" directly to digital files for broadcast
on the Web, while performing at shows/competitions, etc. - DJ Qbert helps
Rio speak to those outside of the norm.

Just in case someone inquires, the other artists are K.D. Lang (outspoken
female vocalist and activist,) George Clinton (and the Parliament
Funkadelic) and Chuck D of Public Enemy fame (80's Rap group with
controversial hits including "Cop Killer," who fought a battle for free
speech in US courts and won.)

Okay, guess I was wrong. The way the guy was looking it looked a different person. Interesting choices, though.

DiGNAN

It would be boring and conventional (not Chuck D by any stretch), but at some point S3 should have an ad that conveys the essence of why you'd want to pay so much money for something as seemingly modest as an Empeg (is a new name coming??)

My spin: Upscale. Take the general flavor of a Volvo/VW ad. Add the standard upscale couple (Angie and Paul), but give her a manicure and make him just the slightest bit punk. They load luggage/picnic in the boot, then plug in Empeg. Alternate close-up shots of Empeg boot logos with shots of subtle negotiating glances between the couple. Ultimately, a polished fingernail selects "Angie's favorites", and something fairly pop starts playing.

Close with surrendering and/or harmonic glances between Paul and Angie with full-screen product logo and some catch phrase.

[end 30-second version]

For 60-second version, Angie falls asleep in passenger seat (how sexist. Why isn't she driving?). Anyhow, Paul looks over at Angie, then stealthily flips Empeg to "Paul's Faves" playlist. At which point, some horrifically loud guitar riff jumps out, angie just about launches out of her seat, Paul brandishes sheepish grin, et cetera. Logo...catch phrase...

Jim

I don't think there would be much value in TV advertising for the current car player. I think editorial and specialist publication adverts are the way to go. But then, I don't work in marketing

Rob

Thankfully, I'm not in marketing, either. TV is expensive, but I would think it would be worth considering if S3 could craft a low-production-cost (read: no over-the top computer-generated effects or elaborate staging) approach, target placements like VH1 (Ugh, but good potential customer demographic if Empeg is to break out of the geek-toy box) and leverage production with crossover to print. Maybe instead of Angie and Paul you could have George Clinton and Yo-yo Ma duke it out in the front seat of a Mercedes.

Jim

have George Clinton and Yo-yo Ma duke it out in the front seat of a Mercedes

- Now that is a commercial for the Superbowl!!!

Paul G.
SN# 090000587 (40GB Green)

I live in Norway and can not see these ad's on TV. Are there by any chance a place to view them on the net?

Kyrre

Norway, 36GB, blue, MKII - I love it!

Well, adcritic.com would be the place to look, but I wasn't able to find it. Anyone else have some ideas?

DiGNAN