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Facebook Home ads show Facebook at its worst

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Re: Facebook Home ads show Facebook at its worst

#2
The behaviour of the people in the ad is exactly the type of behaviour that facebook can thrive off. Glance around in public occasionally and note that half the people looking at their phones are looking at facebook. I think this is the first time that facebook has so blatantly approved of that behaviour, though.

Side-note: Was the adversary in the recent Doctor Who episode (Bells of Saint John) a metaphor for this type of facebook behaviour?

Re: Facebook Home ads show Facebook at its worst

#4
Advertising Facebook as the perfect tool for the completely unconscious is a most unfortunate choice.

I have only seen the airplane ad and while I was watching it I was wondering if they are being ironic. The hero of the ad so to speak is this guy who thinks everything around him is oh so boring so he escapes to the colorful fantasy world provided by his facebook phone.

I was waiting for the punch line only it never arrived.

Re: Facebook Home ads show Facebook at its worst

#5
I understand the author's issues with the spots -- and agree with them -- but he seems to demonstrate a poor understanding of what the goal of an advertisement for a free Android overlay targeted mainly towards 18-35 yr olds should be.

The goals of such an advertisement are to be loud and to promote immediate curiosity, in my opinion.

Re: Facebook Home ads show Facebook at its worst

#6
So there is an interesting "issue" with Facebook which is that Facebook has so many users that when even a very small fraction of them thinks Facebook should be something that Facebook isn't trying to be, its a lot of people disconnected from the "vision".

The issue is in quotes because for some this is a non-problem, these people don't get it and they will eventually move on. For others it is a huge problem because they see a potential product that they would like, and Facebook has some or most of the pieces, but it never completes the picture.

One has to assume that because a television spot requires review and approval and then insertion approval that it represents closely what the folks managing the vision of what Facebook home should be. And from these commercials they are selling a way to "hang out" with the people you really care about when you are hanging out with people you are near and perhaps care less about.

As with real relationships you bring your complexes to them, not the other way around.

Re: Facebook Home ads show Facebook at its worst

#7
post #5

I understand the author's issues with the spots -- and agree with them -- but he seems to demonstrate a poor understanding of what the goal of an advertisement for a free Android overlay targeted mainly towards 18-35 yr olds should be. The goals of such an advertisement are to be loud and to promote immediate curiosity, in my opinion.

The author, Josh Elman, has worked at Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and is now a principal at Greylock Partners with an investment focus on advertising and social (among other things). I'd say he definitely understands the advertising goals of a social media company.
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