Homemade iPod ad shows what happens when customers have passion about products

Michael Gartenberg | December 14, 2004, 08:15 AM

When customers become so enamored of a product, they transcend the customer experience and actually become the best marketing evangelists for the product. George Masters loves his iPod so much, he created a his own iPod commercial that's making the rounds. I love it when a product inspires this much passion among users. How good is the ad? My colleague, Gary Stein, (who covers advertising and knows a few things about this space) was quoted as follows. "It shows great advertising principles," Stein said. "He's computer-literate, but he's also literate in the language of advertising.... You could take this thing and put it on MTV this afternoon. It's not only good, it's good advertising. People go to college to learn this. He just gets it."

A few years ago, I met with one of the Nordstroms in Seattle. I asked if the urban legend about Nordstrom taking back a set of snow tires a customer tried to return was true or not. He wouldn't answer directly, but he did say, "they're not telling that story about Macy's, are they? If you're a vendor competing with the iPod (or thinking of it) ask yourself this question. Are my customers creating cool commercials about my products? If not, why not?

George Masters' iPod ad(via WIRED)