First, I'm amazed I could find this on YouTube. Who the hell would want to watch this of their own free will? I bet I've unconsciously seen this ad about 50 times, but until my roommate pointed it out during Law & Order last night, I've never been aware that I'm watching it. Something about the music, the graphics, the whole treatment, tells my brain, "you can think about something else now, this doesn't concern you." This revolutionary phone, designed especially for old folks, promises: "Bigger buttons, bigger numbers." And, "You don't need a 400-page manual to use it." How simple is Jitterbug? One version of the phone comes with only three options:
It would be hard for even the most technology-ignorant old person to be confused by that. I am a bit concerned though, as at the end it offers a free car phone charger with purchase. If you need a phone with only three options because you can't figure out a normal cell phone, you shouldn't be operating a motor vehicle. They're slightly more complicated and entirely more dangerous than a mobile phone.
A third version of the phone has an ASSIST button, which when pressed slowly administers lethal medication to the user, allowing them to peacefully slip away during conversation. If you happen to accidentally press the button, you're in luck, you can use your Jitterbug to call 911 or the operator for help. Or you can call home to say goodbye.
It's difficult to grade this, as I think it's probably doing it's job: turning off the brains of young consumers and singing its way into the hearts of our elderly. But because I've noticed it and I'll now be tortured by it during my many hours watching Law & Order, and because I think advertising takes advantages of the impressionable and feeble minds of our elders, F.
The Hawk:
I'm neither here nor there on this one. It's an informational ad the describes the product well and I do like that "Jitterbug" jingle in the background. All-in-all it just exists, so it gets a C. Average.
3 comments:
Jitterbug cellphones are really nice...
I have two kids. One is in high school and the other is in kindergarten. They both have a Just5 mobile phone that my 70-year-old dad gave them. He said it’s a great communication device and a safety device at the same time. My kids like it too because it has a high-volume speaker with amplified sound. Check www.just5.com for more information about this phone.
The Just5 Easyphone is another cell phone I know that offers a convenient cell phone usage to the elderly. This works almost the same as the Jitterbug phone. It is too easy to use and serves as a life-saver at the same time through its PERS features. Both of my grandparents are using this cell phone and what I particularly like about Just5 is the affordability it offers. My grandparents can only spend $3.33 a month for each phone when they get the cheapest minute plan. So I can say that this is another simple cell phone that should be checked out by people who want a simple cell phone that offers both reliability and affordability.
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