Pros and Cons
Written: Mar 10 '00 (Updated Mar 10 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Epinions will become known
Cons: But known as ?
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| frugalshop's Full Review: iMac |
My personal opinion about this commercial? I like it. I know there have been many times I have felt like shooting my computer. Or hammering it to pieces, or throwing it out the window. Any person who has spent any significant time on any computer has felt this way at some point.
Did I actually shoot my computer? No. But seeing someone who actually did shoot one (in a controlled, safe, legal environment) is funny, although a little twisted. I can understand the feelings.
Should Epinions run this commercial? No way.
This is very bad timing with all of the negative publicity about guns, and so many people advocating more gun control laws. I believe this commercial would offend many people, although I am not one of them. I myself believe that more gun control laws will not help at all. A gun is an inanimate object just like a computer, a hammer, or a window. (By the way, all the previous objects could be used to kill.) Maybe you could show someone hammering their computer. This wouldn't be as offensive to most people.
Of course, if epinions would like to start a controversy, showing this commercial would be a great way to do that.
Here is my list of pros and cons to running this commercial:
PROS
• Will certainly get people's attention.
• They will remember Epinions.com.
• Portrays what we do at Epinions (i.e. Give OUR opinions).
CONS
• People will think of Epinions.com and connect it with promoting guns.
Personally, I would not, but I know those who would. Guns do not equal violence in my mind. The people who pull the trigger on the guns are the violent ones. As IronHelix said, "he is doing everything legally-- by the book" - but many people won't see it that way.
• Could be seen as exploiting recent gun-related violent acts.
MY OVERALL OPINION
Innovative, but exploitive considering recent events.
Here is my suggestion for Epinions:
Show the Epinions.com byline, or banner ad more than just at the end of the commercial. Especially if you are going to run this particular ad.
You could do a frame by frame type thing, where you flash the Epinions.com ad in between what he is saying and doing.
Recommended:
No
Would visit Shopping.com? Yes
Increase or decrease trust in Shopping.com? Decrease
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Epinions.com ID:
frugalshop
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Reviews written: 46
Trusted by: 113 members
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