12 May 09 Microsoft: “It costs $30,000 to fill an iPod”
Some might say Microsoft’s new Zune ad is smart. I’d say it borders on desperation. In the ad, you’ll find Wes Moss a “Certified Financial Planner”, (and someone who was kicked off The Apprentice), making his best sales pitch for Zune Pass. He argues that it’ll take $30,000 to fill up an 120GB iPod with songs from iTunes, and just $14.99 for unlimited songs with a Zune Pass. Check out the video:
I guess Microsoft forgot that iPods can also be filled with movies, games, free podcasts, audiobooks, and pictures, Or the fact that those songs purchased on iTunes can be kept forever. A Zune Pass subscription allows you to keep up to 10 songs per month, but the rest are gone as soon as you stop paying the monthly fee. The ad might be effective, but it’s also pretty ridiculous. Whatever happened to that Social/underground image that Microsoft was trying to build for the Zune? Now there’s some loser in a suit trying to plead to us why iTunes is bad for our bank accounts? Wow Microsoft, you’re too cool for school!
Additionally, does anyone else find this ad to be grossly misleading? They make it seem like you can fill up an iPod with a Zune pass, as an alternative to buying songs on iTunes. Moss says the following in the video: “So if someone is using iTunes, I tell them to consider a subscription service like Zune Pass”. A typical consumer might look at that ad and think think Zune Pass was another option for their iPod. In fact, Zunes are nowhere to be found in the ad.
