Filed under: Hardware, Retail, Software, Apple
Apple inspiring 'non-PC' PCs
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]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Fernando said 6:09PM on 12-02-2006
Dude, that flash thingy was *really* bizarre... I don't get what the mac guy reaction was supposed to mean...
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BLACKOUT said 6:17PM on 12-02-2006
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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Ben said 6:26PM on 12-02-2006
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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Eric Chiu said 11:38AM on 12-03-2006
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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joane said 6:46PM on 12-02-2006
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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Heather said 6:46PM on 12-02-2006
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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oompa loompa said 6:50PM on 12-02-2006
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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Dan said 8:26PM on 12-02-2006
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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Dewey said 7:36PM on 12-02-2006
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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michel said 8:29PM on 12-02-2006
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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shrimp said 8:44PM on 12-02-2006
You know what I learned from that ad?
VAIOs are slutty girls.
Awesome job representing your product, Sony.
Real classy.
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tim said 9:15PM on 12-02-2006
"VAIOs are slutty girls."
AWESOME!!!
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Umm sure said 9:31PM on 12-02-2006
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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Plug said 9:36PM on 12-02-2006
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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Plug said 11:48PM on 12-02-2006
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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Don Funk said 11:51PM on 12-02-2006
I don't understand: why does the PC guy fart when you click on him?
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defor said 1:54AM on 12-03-2006
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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Anonymous Coward said 2:05PM on 12-03-2006
Click on "PC" several times very quickly and the result is looks kinda sick...
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Will said 3:30AM on 12-03-2006
Wait ..... wait ...... I think Sony just recieved its cease and desist
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Lars said 8:24AM on 12-03-2006
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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