“Computer maker Gateway is launching a high-profile ad campaign designed to advertise its digital-music services and educate consumers about what ‘rights and responsibilities’ they have in using digital music.”
“Dubbed ‘Rip, Burn, Respect’–a not-so-oblique reference to Apple’s ‘Rip, Mix, Burn’ campaign of 2002–the television ads that will saturate the United States beginning Thursday night aim mostly at showing how Gateway’s digital-music packages simplify online music.”
“While the ads themselves don’t go into detail, they do contain a pointer to a Web site that goes into more detail about what consumers should and shouldn’t do, including admonitions that engaging in online file-trading and taking copied CDs from other people hurts artists. With this site, and with a more direct education campaign, aimed at teens, planned for later in the spring, Gateway says it is trying to clear up confusion over what consumers actually can do with their music and their computers.”
“‘Our concern is that some in the recording industry have created a real sense of ambiguity and confusion among consumers as a consequence of (the industry’s) antipiracy efforts,” Gateway spokesman Brad Williams said. “We agree that piracy is a major problem. But we’re very concerned that consumers’ fair use rights can be swept up and lost in the antipiracy debates,” reports John Borland for CNET News.com. Full article here.
Wintel: what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in stupidity.
Rip, Burn Respect has to be the lamest slogan I have ever heard. I do not usually refer to things as lame but in this instance it is the most appropriate word.
It is clear that Dell’s motto is to be Apple but cheaper. This is why they use x86 and Windows and why they released an all-in-one computer with LCD display last year.
Of course, you do get what you pay for and if you pay for a Dell then you are getting a computer that at best is almost as good as a Mac.
Gateway is so laughable it’s not even worth saying anything. The Profile 4 was an ABSOLUTE JOKE…come on, can that rinky dink thing even compete with an iMac? puhlease…
i hope gateway isn’t planning on targeting the “hip” crowd with THAT slogan. ’cause it just screams ‘pathetic’!
hmmm…..[Simpsons] “Up and Let’s Go!” [/Simpsons]
I think you guys are being a bit reactionary. Though it’s obviously a rip-off of the original Apple ads, the sentiments, about educating the public about their fair-use rights is admirable.
Just because you think Gateway (or Dell, as was mentioned inexplicably below) make products that suck or that you object to, doesn’t mean EVERYTHING they do sucks.
In this case, I think it sounds like a good, if derivate, campaign. Maybe if the message gets through that stealing music is a bad thing, then the message will get through that stealing software is a bad thing. If the PC world stops ripping off software without a second thought, then the TCO of Apple will be seen in an even better light than it already is.
Now Gateway’s real cutting-edge…
If they’d only get a bit closer we could cut them off and be done with ’em.
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Anyone hear the clue-phone ringing @ Gateway Corp HQ?
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I didn’t think so either.
I don’t know why I wrote about Dell when this story is about Gateway. Sorry, my mistake. I still think that Rip, Burn Respect is pretty awful.
Hywel is right.
Albeit, this is derivative of Apple’s campaign, it is nonetheless a worthy ‘copy’.
Fair use matters, dispite what the RIAA would propagandize.
NOT EVERYONE IS A GODDAMN THIEF.
But then, when you get caught over-charging your customers for audio CDs by 20-40%, I guess the thinking is, that if you’re a thief, then so is everyone else!
RIAA fatcats, it’s called: Taking one to know one. Check into it. Hmmm.
Stoopid… does anyone have Gateway HQ’s Corp. home address? I would like to write them a longhand letter.