Santa is skinnier, cooler with a Palm Centro
Get ready this Christmas for a newer, cooler Santa Claus. In fact, don't even call him Santa. Call him Claüs. So the story goes, Santa was sitting up in the North Pole being fat and jolly, dealing with a 400-foot parchment list of the naughty and nice, when he got a package in the mail. It was a Palm Centro, and it changed Santa forever. He cut his hair, started eating hippie food and lost weight. A new wardrobe and some hot sunglasses later, he was Claüs. Or, as most of you will recognize him, one of those skinny, hot, rich douches often found in ads for luxury/aspirational goods. Claüs is so hip, he has his own Facebook page. Go there to become a fan, listen to his music (he remixes Xmas songs), watch his videos and write on his wall. Great creative and concept from Creature, a Seattle-based agency. But there's one problem: The Centro looks like last year's new device, and no amount of clever marketing will fix that. A wall comment from “Elliot” sums it up: "Can I have a free iPhone, Claüs?" |
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December 3, 2008 in Creature, Greenfield, Holidays, Palm, Telecom | Permalink |
Comments
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"Or, as most of you will recognize him, one of those skinny, hot, rich douches often found in ads for luxury/aspirational goods."
Spot on, AdFreak. That's why this ad doesn't work. Santa is supposed to be jolly and approachable, not some self-righteous douche!
Posted by: DW | Dec 3, 2008 8:05:04 AM
I agree! The ad takes away from the holiday spirit and the persona of Santa by as you correctly put, making him a "douche." However, this was a very creative concept that probably will sell many Palm Centro's to the aforementioned indirect target audience. That's what is great about advertising you can sell the product through appealing to a certain lifestyle.
Posted by: JCook | Dec 3, 2008 11:32:00 AM
I think this stuff is hilarious. Really clever and breaks through the uninspired crap that most companies are shoveling out this time of year. Creature did a great job taking an old product and turning it into something interesting.
Posted by: tailor | Dec 3, 2008 1:43:44 PM
Santa doesn't deal with the bad kids, Krampus does.
Posted by: Steve | Dec 3, 2008 2:53:08 PM
Santa doesn't deal with the bad kids, Krampus does.
Posted by: Steve | Dec 3, 2008 3:10:27 PM
I would have to agree with all of the posts that believe this ad makes Santa, or should I say, "Claüs", look like a real "douche". The chubby, jolly, red-cheeked Santa is an image people around the world know and love. I see what Creature was trying to accomplish with this commercial but I don’t understand why they would destroy such a recognizable figure like "Santa", and turn him into "Claüs". I do applaud Creature for incorporating an interactive social media for "Claüs”, which was a good idea that could have potentially been even better if it used the Santa Claus everyone already loves.
Posted by: Joey S. | Dec 3, 2008 5:50:48 PM
He looks like just another Swede in the digital department.
Posted by: Bob | Dec 3, 2008 10:34:13 PM
Give me a break. Do you have your head in the sand? This is another example of post modern hipster ad guys trying to shill second tier crap to American consumers, using believe it or not, the embodiment of consumption--Santa Claus. We're in a recession if you didn't know it. What about an idea that pays forward some kind of goodwill instead of drenching a storybook icon in glam. What was once a sweet childhood icon of generosity has become a disgusting consumer shill. (I'll bet the opportunistic naive admen who came up with it see it as a gateway client to the iPhone.)
Posted by: Brian | Dec 7, 2008 1:30:55 PM
You can see all of the ads on YouTube... http://www.youtube.com/user/santasgonecentro
Posted by: AJ | Dec 8, 2008 6:43:00 PM
"I think this stuff is hilarious. Really clever and breaks through the uninspired crap that most companies are shoveling out this time of year. Creature did a great job taking an old product and turning it into something interesting."
Thank you, stealth marketer!
Posted by: bbmcrae | Dec 9, 2008 4:05:36 PM
I totally agree with you. These commercials are creating a great buzz... they're fun and differnet. I love the music/production. But when you look at the phone, it's like.. blah.
Posted by: Claire | Dec 11, 2008 12:59:17 PM
This is a horrible campaign....has disgusted everyone I know who's seen it.....I'd much prefer to see Santa come out as a leather and chain clad bathhouse inhabiting "bear" than whatever consumerist metrosexual freak this agency has turned him into..... Really nausea inducing...
Posted by: Bwahahaha | Dec 12, 2008 4:31:23 PM
Judging by the Facebook count, it appears this cool, happy incarnation of Claus has captured the target market. Cowboy up, cupcakes.
Posted by: whinenot | Dec 26, 2008 11:04:25 AM
