“Apple has picked up rights to air a Super Bowl commercial on February 4. The rumor is that they’ll use that commercial to announce an three-month exclusive deal to electronically distribute some Beatles music via the iTunes Store,” Blackfriars’ Communications’ Carl Howe writes for SeekingAlpha.
Howe asks, “Now wearing my marketing hat, this raises a question: Does this ad buy make sense from an ROI point of view?”
Howe does the math and decides that there might “be more in an Apple Super Bowl ad than just the Beatles announcement.”
Howe writes, “Assuming it was able to negotiate the rights, Apple will probably announce a Beatles-themed iPod to bundle with the Beatles music, just as it did with the U2 iPods. And given that Apple just talked down iPod projections for the first quarter, that would be a smart way to boost sales during this traditionally slow period — and again surpass analyst projections.”
Howe wonders if even something like that is big enough for a Super Bowl ad, “A Beatles iPod that had all the sexy wide-screen and touch-screen goodness of an iPhone without the phone functions would certainly fit that bill, but I don’t think Apple would be willing to confuse the market quite this soon after the iPhone introduction. Regardless, my bet is that the Super Bowl ad is about more than just adding the Beatles catalog to iTunes.”
Full article here.
Techpwn.com also is reporting that Apple might announce a touchscreen, widescreen iPod during the Super Bowl here.
[UPDATE: This article (originally posted January 19th) is being brought to the top as the Super Bowl nears kickoff.]
Related article:
Report: Apple to announce iTunes Store deal with The Beatles via Super Bowl commercial – January 17, 2007
What a coup for Apple, Inc., to announce a Beatles iPod with all that rich musical goodness coupled with the slick touch-screen interface!
…he ponders as he wipes drool from his chin…
the touchscreen ipod (iphone form factor) is a no brainer. And of all the software on the iphone, the ipod stuff was the most complete.
this wouldnt be that hard a task, no fcc needed
But, and here’s the really important questions, what color would it be?
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The supper bowl? So Apple thinks everybody eats soup and watches TV at the same time?
Maybe when I eat chili, but never with soup.
This is another lame idea from Apple…
Widescreen Internet iPod WiFi touch-screen.
Say no more, say no more.
Hmmm…an iPhone without the phone. It wouldn’t need OS X taking up valuable storage space. Maybe one could get a version with a hard drive if its really for video.
iPod does need a refresh so it doesn’t pale in comparison to the iPhone…
I think the Superbowl ad will be about the iPhone and that’s it.
This could be a huge boost to iPod sales…
I don’t think it’ll happen. It’s just too soon after the iPhone announcement, and then what would Apple do for an encore come the holidays?
Color it Yellow Submarine.
They scrapped the idea for a Heather Mills iPod. It was a cheap model, stripped down, VERY expensive and it didn’t have a leg to stand on.
MW: wrong. I know. So very wrong.
I might have to actually watch the Superbowl this year.
That would make sense if Apple doesn’t want sales of the vPod to ‘dry up’ upon speculation of a phone-less iPhone.
This isn’t even a rumor. It’s speculation.
Apple won’t introduce the widescreen iPod until next holiday season..
Remember, they have to be able to sell more than 21 million iPods next Christmas.
To follow up during the holidays, they will come out with new Nano’s and different iPhone models. That’s a good way to follow a touch screen iPod in Feb.
But it’d piss of about 21 million people.
And to top that quarter next holiday season, they will lump iPhone and iPod sales in one.
That would be absolutely brilliant on Apple’s part. So many people would jump to buying a new wide-screen iPod that shared some tech with the iPhone, because they would still buy the iPhone in June for the phone and web functionality. Brilliant! Let’s hope…
Maybe they are using the Superbowl to advertise the iPhone.
Yes, tech geeks and Apple fans have seen the iPhone … but what about the wider world?
I don’t think you’ll see new versions of anything until Leopard (release is a vague date of Spring ’07) is GM for functional reasons.
The Super Bowl could be a sneak preview of Leopard to steal attention from Fista.
Or the Super Bowl ad could be Mac and PC playing a game of multi-touch football. Let’s hope PC isn’t “skins”.
I’m just glad that Apple is now a standard advertiser during the Super Bowl.
And honestly, I’d love to see them show a new Mac vs PC ad there!
Apple won’t introduce the widescreen iPod until next holiday season..
Remember, they have to be able to sell more than 21 million iPods next Christmas.
I agree. Plus, if the iPhone is the only product to use the widescreen touchscreen (WSTS) for four or five months (prior to the holiday shopping season), that’ll help its sales get off to a healthy start. If there’s a WSTS iPod out in February, I’d buy one immediately… but then be a little more inclined to wait on the iPhone. OK, I probably wouldn’t, but the thought would cross my mind, and more casual Apple fans might wait.
That was a low blow, Amp…. Unsquirted… but funny nonetheless.
Hmmm…. This does tie in well with something I thought was a little odd in the keynote. Go to the keynote stream and jump forward to about 42:48 and watch.
Things I thought were odd:
– I wonder why he chooses the Beatles after the Apple vs Apple battle a few months back.
– “A little help for my friends”, hmmm indeed Steve, indeed.
– “Thats a 5 star album”, a little bit of ass kissing there? (okay, I agree sgt peppers is a 5*)
I would love to see the Beatles on iTunes, and I would love an Beatles iPod.