Nokia 2520 Mullet Tablet Ad is Just A Little Bit Freaky

Wow. I thought the purpose of advertising was to build an emotional case that created a connection between you and the product. I’m not sure anyone told that to Nokia or its ad agency. The latest ad for the Nokia 2520 Tablet is a puzzler. It’s bit scary, a bit freaky, and I think might frighten small children from ever using a Tablet or going to a barber shop. And for those who might still have a picture of themselves from back in the day when they might have worn a mullet hairdo, this will probably seem like a bad dream.

The story of a Tablet that is good for business and also for a party is certainly a viable way to hype a Tablet. On any level, it just doesn’t work in the context of a creepy barber resurrecting a long dead hair style for today’s customer. Or any day’s customer for that matter. What this says about the Tablet or about the guy getting the hair cut is beyond me. Are they comparing the Nokia 2520 to what is now viewed as fashion faux pas regardless of how popular it was at one time? Are they saying their customs have no sense of current style? Even the shots of the guy using the touch screen are lackluster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7xVrI-tUIQ

When I see these things I always stop and remember that a large number of individuals in a company agree and sign off on a commercial through a multiple step process before we ever see it. They agree to commit resources to tell this story and try to position their product in this way. They think it is and will be successful. I’m just not sure what this tells us about a company or its products.

I could be wrong. This might turn out to be the most successful Tablet ad ever. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Taste is just as subjective. But then I’m not sure taste applies to someone who thinks building a product image ad around a mullet hair style that disappeared long ago demonstrates any sense of taste. Or common sense.