Campaign: Welcome to the BlackBerry family
Brand: BlackBerry
Company: Research In Motion (RIM)
Agency: BBDO India
The campaign: The latest campaign by the smartphone maker is an announcement of RIM?s new offering – BlackBerry handsets with 7 OS(operating system). The film opens with a young man at a busy marketplace who is talking over his BlackBerry.
As he moves on with a smile on his face, another guy of the same age gives him a high-five on the move. The young man realises that he does not know the man and feels awkward about the spontaneous act. Before he can brood over what happened, he crosses path with one more guy who smiles at him. Next, we see him exchanging smiles with another man who is in the process of moving house while talking over his smartphone. This is followed by a young lady smiling at him from her balcony and flashing her phone.
Later he crosses a roadside cafe where a couple is looking at a mobile handset. As the young man nears their table, the girl flashes her handset at him. Exchanging more smiles with some members of a band performing in a corner of the street, the man finally reaches a BlackBerry store. He effortlessly gives a high-five to another guy stepping out of the store with a newly purchased BlackBerry in one hand. Voice over: ?Welcome to the BlackBerry family?.
Our Take: Before going any further, let us understand what?s BB 7 OS? It?s the latest operating system from RIM that runs all new BlackBerry smartphones around the world. The user experience is promised to be both easier and faster, voice-activated searches are available for content both on your phone and the web, and the browser has been enhanced with new features.
The software was officially released this year in August but there was a catch. RIM made it clear that any previous devices would not be updated to BlackBerry 7 OS. So before you form an opinion on the new ad, please get the latest BB! According to sources, the company will spend a sizeable chunk of its marketing budget on the new multi-media campaign.
Continuing its focus on the youth, something that the brand has been doing right from the time it launched its first ad with the tagline ?Do what you love, love what you do?, the new film portrays BB smartphones as a symbol of belonging. However, this unity of the BB family may appear misplaced as one wonders about the number of users who can afford to upgrade to the new range of handsets instantly. The cast has done a good job and the background score is soothing as opposed to the foot tapping and catchy music in Vodafone?s ?BlackBerry Boys? film. Also, the ad has a striking resemblance to a previous film conceptualised by Orchard Advertising where a jogger crosses path with his friends. The old ad highlighted the famous BB Messenger.