talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

someone's gotta explain this one to me. the "msn. Direct Smart Watch". huh. this is the watch you wear so that microsoft can send information it thinks you need right to your wrist. uh-huh.

most of the ads I've seen on-line and on billboards for this thing picture a watch telling you the weather forecast. why is this information so critical that I would pay a montly fee to microsoft to have it beamed to my wrist?

in what has to be one of the more pointless ads I've ever seen, a Smart Watch billboard on Olympic Blvd, here in LA, shows the forecast for "today" and the next two days. what's the forecast you ask? 83 and Sunny. all three days. that's right: all. three. days. and why? because it's LA!

I need a microsoft watch for this?

so thank you msn direct, your ad communicates exactly what it should to potential consumers. I no longer have to wonder if the Smart Watch is for me.

update: well, it appears that these highly effective ads aren't just confined to LA billboards. while reading Morford this morning, I came across another Smart Watch ad, this time aimed at the hapless parent who can't think of what to get Bobby or Suzy for their college graduation. and what keen feature does the "smart" watch depict? "Graduation. 1:OO PM".

trust me on this, if on the day of your child's college graduation they need to look at a watch to remind them a) it's graduation day and b) it's at 1:00, your gift of a watch is too little, too late.

are there any good examples for this technology? the ads sure don't communicate them.

and a comment from a friend: "The biggest laugh I get from those stupid ads is that the watch is often worn the wrong way on the cartoon arm.  The thumb has to be up (12 o'clock) in order to read the stupid data." I was so thunderstuck by the pointlessness of the data, that I overlooked that. yikes! thank you Stephen.