Sony is apparently trying to hitch a ride on Apple's bandwagon, at least in Australia so far, by attempting to remove the 'PC' moniker from their branding. On the VAIO C C Series product page for Sony Australia, Sony is not only using a "non-pc pc" slogan, but also a bizarre Flash movie directly inspired (right down to the costumes) by Apple's Get A Mac campaign, complete with a third VAIO character. The interactivity is strange because it doesn't seem to do anything - the three characters simply turn around and offer, uh, *strange* sound effects - not even catch phrases or complete sentences. The movie itself, however, is a clear sign that Sony is trying to separate its brand from the rest of the industry in the same way Apple does. Think about it: everyone, including Apple, makes PCs (i.e. - Personal Computers), but Apple makes Macs, and now Sony makes VAIOs. If we momentarily disregard the fundamentals at play here - such as Apple having a truly unique software platform, while Sony uses Windows like the rest of the industry they're trying to banish to the uncool kid's corner - this is a serious branding move for a company like Sony to make, even if it seems, at least for now, this is only done in Sony's Australian branch.
In a way, I can't blame them for trying this out. After a detrimental year of exploding batteries, selling security-trampling Windows rootkits, embarrassingly low PS3 shipments and even a digicam recall, Sony could use a fresh change of pace. Unfortunately, I don't think they offer enough to have any chance of differentiating themselves and, more importantly, overriding the culturally understood definition of 'PC' to achieve some sort of cool factor. Sure, Sony has some impressive hardware, and they make some of their own unique software packages that do iLife-type stuff. Sadly, you'd be hard-pressed to find a journalist, amateur blogger or even a Mr. Consumer who can use Sony's apps without being overtaken by soul-wrenching pain.
At the end of the day, Sony still uses Windows, which means they can't wash away the negative connotations with unimaginative marketing and a wish for things to get better.
[via digg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-02-2006 @ 6:09PM
Fernando said...
Dude, that flash thingy was *really* bizarre... I don't get what the mac guy reaction was supposed to mean...
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12-02-2006 @ 6:17PM
BLACKOUT said...
i think it was "look at us, we're sony, and we like to pirate, just like the people who didn't get f**ked by our rootkits"
or did they go out of their way to pay john hodgeman and that "mac guy" (seriously, who is he) to stand next to some giggling chick?
i'm quite happy i just payed the black tax and get a macbook.
f**k sony in the eye for that one.
batteries, failed consoles, propriatery media, homebrew killjoys and rootkits aside, i'd still never buy a vaio.
although, i do wonder, could you get sony to give you back the money you wasted on the OEM windows that you could get with it, just like dell has done.
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12-02-2006 @ 6:26PM
Ben said...
guys, right above the "non-pc pc" thing it says "sony recommends windows xp professional." they're not that distanced. i will say this for sony: if you want a nice windows machine, and don't particularly care about it, you know, working, then sony's the way to go. on the other hand, you could just get a mac and have attractiveness and functionality and reliability all at the same time.
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12-02-2006 @ 6:46PM
joane said...
Since the begining of the vaio brand theyve been pushing it as the non-pc or better yet the mac of pcs. We have a bunch of work and i am endlessly amused by the never used 'memory stick' slot in a laptop without even a SD card reader. How much longer until Sony goes bankrupt? Their culture, products, and methods are sub-par.
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12-02-2006 @ 6:46PM
Heather said...
Truly bizarre. The little flash thing was just confusing... I wasn't sure what it was supposed to be telling me. And is it just me, or does the Vaio chick look like a hooker? (Which might be apropos for Sony...)
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12-02-2006 @ 6:50PM
oompa loompa said...
you pinch the girls ass and she giggles?! what the...!?!?!?
as a woman i can definitely say that sony have totally got it wrong!
a great way for sony to finish an awful year!
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12-02-2006 @ 7:36PM
Dewey said...
I feel that Apple's approach to their "Get a Mac" ads is that OSX is superior to XP. For the most part, the commercials deal with the negatives behind Windows. Don't get me wrong, I realize some of the commercials deal with the hardware benefits of Macs but not as much as say iLife. That being said, Sony's mock of these ads don't even make sense: Vaio's run Windows. I just don't get how this is supposed to "promote" this product. If I were Apple, I would throw in that Vaio character as a counter in their newer ads.
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12-02-2006 @ 8:26PM
Dan said...
Sony once had a shot with this - though I still think the fact that once turned on, it works just about the same as everything else made it a long shot. But the company made innovative laptops - really good sub-minis, and good-looking multimedia laptops with excellent speakers and displays (albeit unbelievably AWFUL proprietary software to run the whole thing.) But the VAIOs (I know that's an acronym for something related to all this, I just can't remember what are now simply overpriced, and in most cases their best former functions have been eclipsed by Fujitsu.
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12-02-2006 @ 8:29PM
michel said...
sony.. sigh, but still sony had good engineering, but surely Ugly commercials and bad, very bad direction, bad managers.
they have not brand identity among their many products, no culture, no more quality.
well, we will see if in 2007 sony will have new nice and useful digital camera, playstation, tv, blueray and .. vaio.
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12-02-2006 @ 8:44PM
shrimp said...
You know what I learned from that ad?
VAIOs are slutty girls.
Awesome job representing your product, Sony.
Real classy.
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12-02-2006 @ 9:15PM
tim said...
"VAIOs are slutty girls."
AWESOME!!!
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12-02-2006 @ 9:31PM
Umm sure said...
seems pretty clear what the ad is tryin to say..pc= eh....mac = trying to be cool.....vaio= sexy....but yea whatever .. I had vaios...I had mac....none is any better then the other aside from the OS.... not like current macbooks are best in the world with all the problems it's been having....
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12-02-2006 @ 9:36PM
Plug said...
I think Apple should welcome VAIO into their commercials. Here's a script:
Mac: "Hello, I'm a Mac"
PC: "I'm a PeeCee"
Mac: "Hey PeeCee, who's your friend?" looking at VAIO who's actually a man dressed as a woman in the best of "hooker chic" style (think about the movie in the iLife/iMovie Apple ad).
PC: "Oh this?"
VAIO butting in: "Hi. I'm VAIO!" winking, giggling and putting a hand out to shake
Mac: "Hi VAIO!" as he gets his hand up to shake hands but PC dramatically leaps between them in an 'I'll take a bullet for you' style...
PC : "oh... er... don't shake hands... She's got the lurgi..." and both PC and VIAO promptly collapse to the ground in a heap having come in physical contact, exchanged digital streams and crashed with PC landing on top of VAIO.
VAIO struggles to half sit up for a moment. With one eye shut, the other fluttering thing called VAIO proceeds to smear lipstick across lips, left cheek and ear then crashes backwards hard to zonk out completely.
Mac: "Well so much for PeeCee and his dirty little friend." says Mac as he shrugs his shoulders.
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12-02-2006 @ 11:48PM
Plug said...
On a more serious level though, it's about the 'Purple Cow' concept by Seth Godin. In essence, you have a purple cow when:
> the product itself has high utility (substance);
> the way it is presented is excellent (form); and
> the way it is delivered is great (form again).
Assess the VAIO and you have average promotion, hardware that is good but the OS is definately not so it lets the overall package down (where it will contiue to remain unless something happens in Vista).
Apple on the other hand is purple all the way through. This company and its products, style and focus are an excellent case study especially since all this is reflected in overall customer satisfaction, financial results and share price.
So I see this more like a cheap shot by an imaginative marketing department that is struggling to send out a 'me too' message to the world knowing full well they have this old OS holding them back.
Unless of course, they do have something special from a VAIO/Vista perspective which is highly unlikely...
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12-02-2006 @ 11:51PM
Don Funk said...
I don't understand: why does the PC guy fart when you click on him?
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12-03-2006 @ 1:54AM
defor said...
So... to recap, making a computer in multiple colors makes it not a PC....
Let's see...
5 color variations... reminds me of a certain other computer ad campaign from about 8 years ago....
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12-03-2006 @ 3:30AM
Will said...
Wait ..... wait ...... I think Sony just recieved its cease and desist
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12-03-2006 @ 8:24AM
Lars said...
Hm, it's a bit weird, but probably Ozzy humor related. All things aside, Sony does make Windows laptops that are relatively on par with Apple design.
Some of the stuff they put out in the Japanese market is very nice looking and sometimes even daring in design approach.
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12-03-2006 @ 11:38AM
Eric Chiu said...
I LOVE SONY's INDUSTRIAL DESIGN.
Apple Is Such A Small Company That Not Even Worth To Be Mentioned In Front Of SONY
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12-03-2006 @ 1:45PM
Edward said...
Eric,
For "Such A Small Company That Not Even Worth To Be Mentioned In Front Of SONY", Apple has been receiving too many Design Awards in the last couple years. Damn these small and obscure companies like Apple! :)
Now, more seriously, who was the jerk responsible for this small ad? The VAIO laptops usually are well designed and built and don't deserve this. Regularly I don't make such bold considerations, but these days Sony seems really out of focus and doomed...
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