As many of you know already, there’s need talks about HTC rolling out a global marketing campaign in order to better promote HTC handsets and build brand recognition. Over the past week or so many started to notice teaser billboard ads across the U.S. with no branding and only displaying the words "You". You might recognize the "You" from the story we ran 11 days ago that covered HTC’s redesign of their U.S website. On Friday morning I received a phone call from Eric Lin (online PR rep for HTC) to talk about the rollout of their new campaign. Starting today, HTC will be switching out the plain "YOU" billboards with ones that highlight the HTC logo and their "quietly brilliant" tag line. HTC will be running nation TV ads as well which will feature many of their newer Android and Windows Phone handsets, highlighting the HTC customizations and how the phones can be used by you. Eric noted that no information about specs will be included in the ads and only a few features will be highlighted in order to focus more on the mass market and those who have never purchased a smartphone before. the idea is that if you tell the public too much information about the handset, they get confused and overwhelmed. The U.S. tag line of the HTC campaign is "You need a phone that gets YOU."
I still have not seen any of the new ads (besides that one above), but I’m sure HTC will deliver. For years, U.S. carriers have been selling HTC phones but not really giving them any credit for the hardware. We’ve seen the HTC logo on more and more phones, but finally seeing HTC reach out and introduce themselves to the public is exciting.
HTC will not be rolling out any new handsets for the campaign, but Eric did say that they have a few more handsets that they will be releasing before the end of the year.
HTC unveils global AdvertIsing campaign
and new “quietly brilliant” Brand Positioning
YOU campaign brings new approach to mobile industry;
represents HTC’s focus on each customer
TAOYUAN, Taiwan – October 26, 2009 – HTC Corporation, a global smartphone designer, today unveiled a global advertising campaign that is based on HTC’s new “Quietly Brilliant” brand positioning. As HTC’s first global advertising campaign, the YOU campaign is being rolled out across 20 countries in the coming weeks and features the tagline, “You don’t need to get a phone. You need a phone that gets you.” This represents HTC’s commitment to focus on people, their needs and how they work and live to ensure that HTC devices suit them.
“‘Quietly Brilliant’ is doing great things in a humble way, with the belief that the best things in life can only be experienced, not explained,” said John Wang, chief marketing officer, HTC Corporation. “The YOU campaign is the perfect embodiment of ‘Quietly Brilliant’ and is core to HTC as a company, innovator and partner.“
The YOU campaign is focused on driving broad, global visibility and understanding of HTC’s unique brand promise – that it’s all about YOU, the consumer, and in fact not the device. HTC worked with Los Angeles-based advertising agency, Deutsch LA Inc. to create the YOU campaign that will employ an integrated-media approach to reach consumers via television, print, outdoor and online. HTC’s design expertise will be echoed throughout the campaign, with commercial spots highlighting the unique functionality of HTC smartphones.
"We’ve come to have a very emotional relationship with our phones. Many of our key experiences in any given day come through this one device and yet most of the advertising in the category is still about utility," says Eric Hirshberg, co-CEO and chief creative officer, Deutsch LA.
"HTC’s whole design philosophy is very personal. They make phones where your experience is completely unique, so we think there is a connection between how people feel about their phones and how HTC makes them."
HTC worked with London-based creative consultancy, FigTree to create the “Quietly Brilliant” brand positioning. The “Quietly Brilliant” positioning was inspired by HTC’s culture of putting customers first, born from a heritage of creating breakthrough products and continued innovation. As part of HTC’s culture, the “Quietly Brilliant” positioning will be rolled out in all forms of communication and brand touch points across the company.
“Some of life’s most brilliant ideas started with a simple doodle on the back of a napkin,” said Simon Myers, CEO of Figtree. “HTC’s new look uses this visual language of doodles to explain all the quietly brilliant features and benefits of HTC devices in a simple and human way.”
About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.
