IS the future here? Not yet. But that hasn’t kept Motorola from promoting its vision of what lies ahead.
The company’s new “Intelligence Everywhere” ad campaign features photos of everyday objects (sweaters, milk, parking meters) paired with devices (such as a cell phone or a PDA) to demonstrate the impact of technology.
One two-panel ad features a carton of milk with the words, “I’m Spoiled.” The refrigerator on the left “responds” “I know.”
In the future, the fridge will scan bar codes that will indicate milk’s expiration date. Or the carton will be embedded with a chip that will reveal same.
It’s all very Jetsons and glamorous. But do we really need a fridge to tell us the milk is sour? Won’t one whiff of the open carton tell us more instantly?
Then there’s the sweater ad. “Be gentle,” it says. The washing machine replies, “I will.”
How far away is all of this?
It could be years. Most people replace their major household appliances about once a decade – which means that even if these high-tech products were available right now, they still would be unlikely to achieve critical mass any time soon.
“We’re talking sci-fi here,” says Milosz Skrzypczak, a 28-year-old analyst with the Yankee Group, an Internet research firm, adding that some of these products are unlikely to show up in his lifetime.
“The utility is pretty minimal. Who would pay a premium so you don’t have to read a label?”
Cell phones will eventually combine precise-location technology with Web-enabled services. That’s the subject of the Motorola ad that features a Chihuahua.
“I’m lost,” says the dog, whose collar contains a miniaturized computer chip that can be tracked by satellite. “I’ll find you,” says the phone.
“Personally, I think it’s kind of weird,” says Nancy Gorhing, a senior writer with Interactive Week. “How much of a monthly fee will people pay to track pets?”
But it doesn’t really matter to Motorola if the market’s not ready for their tech tricks. Their ads are for dreamers, not for realists.
“Sometimes technology is on a faster curve than the market is ready for,” says Rachelle Franklin, director of corporate brands at Motorola.
“What we’re trying to express is, ‘We’ll be ready with relevant technology when you’re ready for it.’ That’s key. It’s all about timing.”
E-mail Surfer gURL at[email protected]