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Must-See Commercial: Beats by Dre

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_i3Lcjli84&w=600&h=330]

Comments

  1. I wanna know how much this commercial cost to make. More stars than I’ve ever seen in one commercial.

    The sock wetting confused me as well. Anyone make sense of that?

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  2. How has no one mentioned the weird Schweinsteiger scene where he is wetting his socks…. Can anyone explain that to me?

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      • Where do you get that from?

        I’m uncomfortable with sex being used in advertising for teenagers. The ad wasn’t made for a mature audience, adults generally don’t buy $150 headphones because an athlete advertises them. It was clearly using sex to advertise to kids and teenagers. I guess that makes me old fashioned.

      • 1) Adults do buy $150+ headphones/sneakers/widgets because athletes use them. That’s the entire point of casting celebrities in ads!
        2) Less than 5 seconds of a five minute ad is “Using Sex to Advertise”? Pah-lease…

        You’re wrong on both counts.

      • I think he means adults in the mature, post-college, perhaps-married-with-children sense, not the 18-30 demo targeted by Beats.

        All that said, I wasn’t sold on Beats UNTIL I saw the sex part. Now I’m headed to Best Buy…

      • Where was there violence in the Ad? I don’t recall any either in the ad or mentioned by Mr. Good. Strawman arguments weeeee.

        Also I had no issue with using sexiness to sell something… I think using actual sex is somewhat distasteful.

      • How? As humans we are suppose to have sex. Violence(extreme) not so much (depending on religion).

    • um, none…..SBI makes money off of the banner and siderail ads you see (for me, I am seeing Snickers and NYCFC), either on a CPC or impressions basis…they are likely also part of some sort of network of “publishers” and get ads sent to them by an ad agency…if you are suggesting that SBI gets some sort of “payola” for their articles you are likely off base

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  3. GREAT COMMERCIAL! The headphones not so much …

    1. AKG 701/702
    2. Ultrasone Edition10/12
    3. Audio Technica ATH-M50x (Best all arounder ever)

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    • I think the religious component went over your head. It’s more about showing that sport has taken on religious overtones.

      To put it simply: sport = religion

      Sport stars and music stars have become the new royalty in a post-monarchal, late capitalist, globalized world. Soccer and other sports become proxy wars for nation states (World Cup, other international competitions) and city-states (clubs).

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      • I can see that. I think its a bit silly but you are right on some level.

        There is no glory in war anymore. There is glory is sports. That is certainly better than it used to be.

      • With the exception of the World Wars, there’s a definitely correlation between the rise of peace in Europe and the rise of football. We all know correlation does not equal causation, but it’s something to note and there have been papers written on the subject. It’s the notion that national and civic pride are derived from sport rather than the ability to dominate through war or empire.

    • Until?

      The whole ad was about the rituals and superstitions that competitors and spectators perform and believe. Those are the games that people play before the game to deal with the excitement, suspense and doubt. Anyone who’s been an athlete, performer, or fanatical spectator recognizes those moments.

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      • Well, you’re right: It is all about the headphones, in the end.

        I was only pointing out that acting like there was no religious/superstitious element to the ad until the end missed the point. Everyone has their their ritual – like magic undies, shrines, or kissing a note and dunking it in your beer. BBD wants you to see famous athletes making their headphones part of theirs.

      • Yep, and I dont know if it’s a great ad when our impressions go beyond the product to the feeling. Discuss amongst yourselves….
        Personally, I like it, but it does zero to increase the likelihood of me buying overpriced fashion statement audio equipment.

      • Me too. But you are a man of discerning taste. BBD’s target demographic is not. And this ad will probably be very successful on them.

      • Making people connect with the product and feel they need it is all advertising is, or so Mad Men tells me…

  4. Wow, what a commercial! If I didn’t have so much to do today I would bore y’all with a graduate seminar cultural theory lecture on cultural globalization and the intersection of sports and music. Aren’t you glad I have a busy day? 😉

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      • I didn’t say religion just… that.

        I don’t get why its considered cool to run around and tell people about how not religious you are. It’s the exact same thing as super religious people running around talking about how religious they are.

    • Yes, i caught that…however fleeting it was …. It was like ‘Huh…what…was that….rewind..yeah, i thought that’s what i saw”

      Whatever ritual you need to follow for the USA to win, have at it.

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      • Steve Jobs’ ghost can do whatever he wants – I ain’t buying Beats headphones under any circumstances. Garbage sound quality for the price. They’re all about the image.

      • He has a point though. The mark-up on those headphones (and the majority of consumer electronics) is absurd. I’d feel like a major tool knowing I spent that much on headphones.

      • As a teacher it is my job in the morning to confiscate (for the day) all of the beats headphones and iPhones from my students… Right before I take then to get their free breakfast paid for by taxpayers like me.

  5. wait why is David Villa playing in Austraia? Just a year ago he was with Barcelona and 2 years ago close to making squad for Euro 2012 for SPAIN

    i heard he took a huge paycut to move to Atletico, so why move to Australia?

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    • He’s essentially training and keeping match fitness at NYCFC’s sister club until they’re ready to play in 2015.

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    • He signed with NYCFC which doesn’t start playing until 2015. The A-League is kind of a low league for a loan, though. Surprised they didn’t keep him in Europe.

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      • Agreed sporting-wise the A-League isn’t up there.. But for City Group, it makes a ton of sense as they are basically getting a 2fer I’m terms of hype and publicity from the Villa signing.

        I think Villa clearly still has the skills, but it’s as much about marketing as it is on the field play (hence why he was signed a full year before the team starts play).

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