Smartphone maker HTC is looking to makeover its brand image. The Taiwanese electronics company has signed a two-year deal with Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. as part of their new billion-dollar, “Here’s To Change” campaign.
The ads will focus around humorous TV spots featuring Downey coming up with ideas for what the acronym HTC stands for, such as “Humongous Tinfoil Catamaran” as featured in the first teaser spot below.
According to engadget.com:
“We were also told that the entire ‘Change’ campaign should cover the span of 24 to 36 months, during which it’ll be split into three phases. As part of the first phase, come Thursday a whacky two-minute TV ad will begin to air in key markets, featuring Downey and his fellow actors blurting out what ‘HTC’ could stand for — ‘Humongous Tinfoil Catamaran,’ ‘Hipster Troll Carwash,’ ‘Hold This Cat’ and more — in order ‘to invoke interest and walkability amongst consumers.’
“Interestingly, you won’t find many mentions of any HTC phone in the first full ad, but the subsequent phases of the campaign will eventually focus on the mobile features. There’s no word on the timeframe for each phase just yet due to all sorts of variables.”
Just a few years ago, HTC was the leader of the Android phone market, with its HTC Evo being a prominent device on Sprint’s network. But HTC has seen first hand what good marketing campaigns can do for a company as Samsung took aim at Apple and in a few years took over the smartphone market.
As reported by techcrunch.com:
“[The new campaign] is a sea-change from its previous marketing modus operandi, in which HTC cast itself as the smartphone industry’s wallflower — with its ‘quietly brilliant’ slogan. By contrast, Samsung went around wildly waving gigantic phablets and taking bites out of Apple fans – a much noisier (and far-better funded) marketing strategy that clearly delivered the goods.”
It will be interesting to see if the start power of Iron Man can help to makeover HTC’s brand image. They make really great devices and the competitive landscape is better for the consumer when they’re involved on a major level.
However consumers find it easier to buy into a two-person race. Apple vs. Samsung is an “us vs. them” scenario that’s simple for the average person to grasp. Adding a significant third option to the mix may confuse people, just as it does in politics. However, it is something that is necessary as competition is always good for the consumer.
Check out the first video in HTC ad campaign below.
