This weekend, I’ve noticed two new print campaign ads which seem worthy of some note.
First off, Microsoft is advertising its Live search. With the strapline “Does the world need another search engine?” it explains some of the reasons that surfers might want to use Live instead of Google. Obviously it doesn’t mention Google, but you’re left in no doubt.
I find it interesting that a good new web product like this needs advertising. I don’t recall exactly when I started using Google to search, instead of either Yahoo or Alta Vista that would have been my previous favourites, but I think that it’s likely to have been on a personal recommendation. When someone else says something is good, that’s when I’m likely to give it a try. Maybe Live is really good, and we just don’t all know. In that case, perhaps they do need to advertise. I’m not sure.
Microsoft have definitely moved ahead a little in some areas of their mapping products with cool 3D pictures available in some areas. But the proof of all these things is in the pudding. If I start searching for something and can’t find it on Google, but do on Live, then that’s when I start moving across.
The other ad that has intrigued me is one for plasma screen TVs. With Panasonic taking the lead, but with Hitachi and Pioneer, there’s a new website that purports to prove with consumer research, that plasma screen TVs are superior to LCD TVs. In fact, I don’t doubt this to be the case, since the evidence of my own eyes says that LCDs aren’t that great, in particular at showing any fast moving motions. Plasma is better than this, but of course plasma screens are significantly more expensive than the equivalent LCDs. And I remain very happy with my 10+ year old Sony CRT which has a far better picture than any equivalently sized flat screen TV of either type. Yes it goes back for miles, but afforable picture quality is what counts.
The only saving grace is that of course my TV is no good for HDTV. I’d need to upgrade to get that. Except that there’s little to no material out there, and even Sky’s football coverage doesn’t really come into its own aside from in crowd scenes.
Still, seemingly the consumer doesn’t really care about quality and lots of crappy LCD TVs will be sold this Christmas which won’t be properly set up with digiboxes to correctly show widescreen, and the sound will probably be in mono. And the consumers won’t care.