Reflecting on the ad campaign....
I don't like it. I thought I did, but I don't. I can live with the $20M expense...barely, but I can. My problem is that I think they have adopted the wrong strategy.
The ads are well done, but they seem to simply maintain TDFXs brand, not build it. A well entrenched, well known company can get away with this. Nike could put up a black screen with a white "swoosh" and do a voice over suggesting the viewer "Just Do It", and the world subliminally thinks, "ah...Nike...you know, I've got a hundred bucks burning a hole in my pocket. Think I'll go buy me a shoe (singular)"
TDFX does not have this luxury. Sure, insane asylum rejects such as ourselves know all about TDFX. We laugh at the commercials. Does TDFX really want to make people like us laugh at a commercial? Or does it want to BUILD brand awareness. I contend that the ads maintain the brand, not build it.
To build the brand, the commercials should be very clear that TDFX makes graphics chips- which are the best in the world, and do all of these wonderful things, and that if you want to do these things you should "Make sure your PC is powered by one".
The ads are funny and well done. And everyone who knows about TDFX is sure to like them. But will the average Joe watching comedy central understand that he is supposed to go out and buy a new graphics board? That he is supposed to ask for TDFX by name when he orders his next computer?
And on a side note, where the hell are the V3's? |
