Overhype

Overhype

by Mike Masnick




Time Machine Ad Teases To IBM Campaign

from the the-return-of-the-dot-com-ads? dept

The latest advertising strategy from IBM is to make up an entire company, in the dot com mode of overhyping and underdelivering, and then show how different IBM is. In this case, the ads they've been running showcase a company called Bagotronics, which is selling a time machine, based on "quark-gluon plasma technology". Some are surprised that IBM is trying such a "risky" advertising strategy, but I'm not sure why it's such a big deal. It's just that technology companies seem to have kept away from the more "challenging" ad campaigns recently. Update: The NY Times is also investigating the bogus ad. One thing the ad campaign has definitely done is gotten at least two of the three papers that ran the ad to run an article about it. Update 2: Curiosity killed me, so I went and checked out the Wall Street Journal site (the third paper to run the ad) and they too have a blurb about it, but I won't link to it here, since it requires a paid subscription.

1 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    Oct 30th, 2002 @ 6:17am
  • IBM ads

    by kai

    IBM seems to be very good at these ads that receive lots of media attention. I don't know if they help sell stuff, but their linux graffiti caught everyone's attention. It probably also helps undo IBM's image as a boring, staid old company.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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