Kindle advertisements have often been a little odd, in my opinion. I get that you want to highlight how fun and useful your product is, but when it’s something that facilitates an activity that will almost always take place while the user is immobile and not reacting in any overt fashion, it’s hard to do. Does that mean that the best course of action is to show people running around and dancing while holding it, in a sort of interpretive dance type representation of the feeling to be achieved through use of a Kindle?
Anyway, once again we are given the most obvious, and most Kindle-favorable, visual comparison between the iPad and the Kindle in the form of a situation involving reading in direct sunlight. Not the whole of the commercial this time, but it’s in there as a reminder in case there’s anybody who missed it the first time. Maybe this is a bigger problem than I thought, but do people spend a lot of time reading outside in direct sunlight? I know I enjoy it myself, but it’s just not something I see often. There are so many other factors that could be gone into if the commercial was to emphasize the favorable differences. It’s lighter than the iPad, easier to read on then the iPad, doesn’t have to deal with any ridiculous app store politics like the iPad, etc., etc. I think the whole Kindle vs iPad competition was resolved a while back for the majority of us and the outcome left the iPad unable to live up to its Kindle Killer hype. Also, while we’re on the subject, what was the point of the text informing us of the ease of reading in direct sunlight when we have several seconds of the already short commercial devoted to demonstrating this fact? Learn how to open MSG file.
Where I do like the effort was in terms of demonstrating options beyond reading in a corner. I think it does a fair job of implying utility in terms of accessing reference material on the fly. At least, that’s all I could come up with when it came to what the actors were doing with their Kindles at any given time as they cavorted. Wouldn’t it have been more effective if that were what was being highlighted in the brief text interjections, though?
That’s all just my rant on the topic though. Honestly, probably the best ad we’ve gotten for the Kindle in a while. I know it got the message across a bit better than the old swimming pool scenario or the Kindle hiding in the random drawer from the last couple I recall. Word is that Amazon has purchased some ad time during the upcoming Oscars, so it’s entirely possible that this one will be airing in a great slot. I only wish that it seemed more likely to get across the features that the Kindle brings to the table. Then again, maybe I’m completely off base on this one. Any thoughts on it?
Kinda agree with you about the outside reading thing, but this time it was inside next to really large window. I think it’s more realistic and practical. And while I don’t read in a herd (like the commercial folks) I thought the focus on the book was smart.
Do you really think the Kindle vs iPad debate has been put to bed in favour of the Kindle? I’m not so sure. Okay, so Kindle owners obviously believe that the Kindle wins, and I guess almost all readers of this blog believe that too and that’s why they’re here. But I have lots of friends who have yet to be enlightened and they are surprised when I mention glare and eye strain from a backlit screen and compare that to the advantages of e-ink. I think a lot of the non-techy audience (ie. the majority of people who read traditional print books) are taken in by the advertising for the iPad and think that it can do eBooks just as well as a Kindle, but can do a whole lot more besides.
That’s changing though – in my experience as soon as someone picks up an e-ink display for themselves, they instantly see the advantages.
Hi, even though this is an older topic, I need to weigh in on the advantages of an e-ink screen. I don’t read a lot outdoors, but in our lounge area at work, where I read at lunch, I use my Kindle to read. I have a android tablet, not an iPad, but I cannot read on it there, the overhead lighting (fluorescent) gives a ton of glare, impossible to read on it! Love my Kindle.