“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
Maybe Sneak preview of Leopard plus offical release date. That would reach a lot of people and show the general public Leopard and compared to Vista.
If done right (which will probably be the case) it could also be one of the best commericals. Maybe two different commericals, one for the Beatles, and one for Leopard.
I personally don’t think Apple will release a touch-screen wide-screen iPod until after the release of iPhone. Afterall, the iPhone is supposed to be the best iPod Apple ever made. If iPhone is released in June, about August would be the most reasonable time.
the only way Beatles would agree to an exclusive: Beatles iPod – not just any iPod – a beatles iPod – limited edition!!! (only 5 mm).
Great way to give public a taste of what touchscreen is all about.
About the only things Apple can release pre-Leopard/iPhone are new Macs with a 10.4.9 Tiger update. And TV. And hopefully, MUCH more movie content on the iTS. ~200 movies is still pretty paltry especially since The Hot Chick, Ernest Saves Christmas and The Ladykillers are in that list.
Does anyone at Apple have any music taste…U2 and now maybe a Beatles iPOD…..WTF…..I would still like to see the numbers on how many U2 iPODs sold….now a Stones iPOD that would sell…..
why spend millions promoting Beatles – won’t increase iPod sales only iTunes.
try new macs!!
“But, and here’s the really important questions, what color would it be?”
Pshychadelic rainbow colors. And remember Apple has a patent on a color-changing case design too.
Sorry, wasn’t “supper bowl” after all.Hah!
Bymad.
But “super bowel” doesn’t make any sense either. Who has TV in the outhouse? Maybe a combo iPod/Sears catalog holder, but a TV?
I wonder if that would include Beatles movies and music videos as well?
“3-month” exclusive? Is he on crack? 1-year, 2-years, 5-years, those are exclusive numbers.
As long as it is not a new lame Mac & PC guy! OMG those are lame commercials. This would be a great thing for Apple Inc. They need to move away from the Steve Jobs Keynote thing. Yes he needs to be involved with stuff but Apple needs to start something new when rolling out new products. Just shock everyone with a great TV spot. Steve rocks but time for a new approach.
As long as it is not a new lame Mac & PC guy! OMG those are lame commercials. This would be a great thing for Apple Inc. They need to move away from the Steve Jobs Keynote thing. Yes he needs to be involved with stuff but Apple needs to start something new when rolling out new products. Just shock everyone with a great TV spot. Steve rocks but time for a new approach.
As long as it is not a new lame Mac & PC guy! OMG those are lame commercials. This would be a great thing for Apple Inc. They need to move away from the Steve Jobs Keynote thing. Yes he needs to be involved with stuff but Apple needs to start something new when rolling out new products. Just shock everyone with a great TV spot. Steve rocks but time for a new approach.
As long as we’re speculating…
Steve showed us the touch screen iPhone, next perhaps a touch screen iMac???
or MacBook??? or etc.???
Fun to speculate!!! But…?
iPod video will not be released until after the iPhone.
@ TowerTone:
Zune will be advertised heavily during the “Super Bowel.”
Your potential. Our porcelain.
Beatles, Schmeatles… I want a Pierre Boulez iPod!
Yeah, I wanna see an ad with some air conducting to Mahler or Varese or Bartók or Shostakovich or Ligeti…
There were quite a few Beatles sightings during the keynote… Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road album covers… and a few songs, too.
At the fortune 30 company I worked at, they wanted total quantity of impressions for advertising buys and NOTHING matches the Super Bowl for total eyeballs. Even at the high total cost of a Super Bowl ad, it’s worth it when you look at the cost per impression made, which is actually quite reasonable.
Maybe a Beatles iPod would come pre-loaded with the music catalog and all their movies.
song that comes with Heather McCartney iPod: “my mama told me, you better hop around.”
I want a “Dixie Chicks” iPod.
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Yeh right , and they are sending cats to the moon!!
honestly, i can hardly imagine that they would come out with a video Ipod that would confuse consumer and deplete people that might want to purchase the Iphone, not a good strategy,
you never introduce low end first , always the high end and that’s what Apple always did, so did BMW.
I hope Yoko Ono is in the ad…..
No, this opinion makes zero sense.
1. Apple has no iPhone to sell, so if the message is now all about a touch-iPod, that Apple can sell now, then so be it.
2. iPod video sales are surely slowing to a crawl, now that consumers are asking the question “when will an iPod video show up that has the iPhone functionality in it!?”
Apple cannot afford to wait too long in launching an iPod HD…
… oh, I’m sorry, did I say iPod HD? Yes, the iPod HD will arrive but let us think about this ad space for a minute.
A. Steve will launch the iPod HD at a Special Event, not in a 30 second commercial.
B. The Beattles on an iPod and an exclusive is more than enough for a SuperBowl ad, when considering how much publicity and clout it delivers Apple.
But what if Apple uses the spot to do an amazing iPhone ad and really get some 60 million US viewers completely jazzed about this device? Five months before it arrives, but just another 5 months of grief for other providers and cell phone makers…
Worse yet, what is Apple does an iPhone add, and then pulls the launch early game and delivers the device with Cingular in late April, cashing in on the publicity and starting a scrable to the product, screwing up other cell maker and carrier counter-launches…
Those predicting that a widescreen iPod will not be released until after the iPhone seem to not understand that the iPhone makes the current iPod look kind of lame and dated, by comparison. I would imagine that it’s already having a negative impact on iPod sales. I don’t know if we will see a new iPod by the Superbowl, but I think it’s entirely reasonable we could see one by spring. Mind you, I could be wrong in either direction. But hey, at least I’m not stating something to be a fact. People who just come out and say, “The viPod won’t be released until after the iPhone” as if they actually know this for a fact are awfully annoying. None of us know anything about what they’re going to do, or when they’re going to do it, and to pretend otherwise is ridiculous.