December 5, 2009 33 Comments

Why Simple Still Wins

I love this spoof ad by The Sun that I saw on boing boing. It’s a great way of reminding us that “simple” is a pretty darned good customer value, too.

(If you can’t see the video, click here).

Simple isn’t always the best, but it’s quite often pretty darned good.

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  • http://twitter.com/JGoldsborough JGoldsborough

    LOL, very creative for what they had to work with. And more newspapers should use social media to promote their products. But one part of the video holds no water…the sharing content piece. Because even if you share the way they spoofed in the video, still a one-way experience. And that's why newspapers are dropping like flies.

    That said, I have respect for the creativity and it makes me want to check out the “The Sun” online to see what else they have up their sleeve.

  • http://www.murraynewlands.com/ Murray

    The bit they missed was that soon you will have to pay for The Sun offline and online too ;)

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharelomer SharelOmer

    i agree, but making the simple thinks is the hardest job.
    for example the iPhone has only one button: silence

    that's it…simple yes, but has a lot of thinking behind..

    and as Albert Einstein said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

  • http://twitter.com/Allisoncds Allisoncds

    My takeaway? Sudoku. It's been too long since I've spent a late night with a sudoku book.

  • http://www.beginnerblogger.com/ Sarge

    I love it! Creative ways 'old media' are hitting back at 'new media'. Very clever and great work. Hope we see more like it :)

    Sarge | BeginnerBlogger.com

  • http://www.mikestenger.com Mike Stenger

    Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! It's about time newspapers & magazines kicked it up a notch. Just an incredible ad, really. If there's anything to know about business it's that when you sit still, someone will always pass you up.

    Even though I'm an online guy, I love to see things like this and the creativity involved to hopefully make a difference in their bottom line. Great job Sun!

  • http://www.twitter.com/danieldecker Daniel Decker

    “Small is the new Big” (Godin book title). In a world that is increasingly complex, our clients and consumers need us to make things simple. Simple not to be confused with simplistic. I'm a fan of simple… communicating with the essential messages that stick… making devices and solutions that are easy to use… making sure fundamentals are embraced and championed. Sometimes we over complicate things.

  • sue_anne

    That's a great way to use social media to promote a traditional media product. More newspapers need to do things like this to create buzz and show that they have value.

  • http://twitter.com/oprativ James de Geus

    Chris, saw the video of you at W2E – thanks for the clue as to how to use Twitter – listen to 12 people. Also thanks for turning me on to Seesmic – for the first time I'm watching Twitter streams, great that it's a desktop app. Bought your book. Loved the simple The Sun video. Thanks for your good work. I am here. @oprativ

  • http://www.inbond-marketing-automation.ca/ Eric Goldman

    Chris;
    I loved it!

    Apple spent $50 million developing the Mac's Graphic User Interface and when they launched in 1984, they called it the computer for the rest of us. Here's the intro to a post of mine aimed directly at the concept of why simple wins:

    I’ve been haunted by a question for some time now: Why is so much of what we use everyday so poorly designed? All those software packages with user-hostile interfaces, the door handles you push instead of pull, the stove tops where you give up on the map and turn a dial to see what heats up…

    And part of why it puzzles me so is that most people think it’s them and not the designer! Yup: “I’m so dumb, I can’t even stop the time flashing on my VCR!” You pull on a round bar-shaped door handle, instead of pushing it, and think you’re an idiot. Especially when you lean in to read the push written tiny print, vertically on the handle.

    Attention has been focused on the “surprising” lack of productivity achieved by automating business functions. Sure, the power of a modern desktop computer equipped with Office is astonishing compared to the manual methods it replaced, but how much more productive would it be if it were all easily and quickly learned and never crashed (quality is a part of ease of use, too!)

    The blog post (and several others which touch on this same aspect) can be found at http://www.inbound-marketing-automation.ca/blog…

  • peterspringett

    Hi Chris, great ad, but there's one big 'BUT' – I blogged about it earlier this week: http://bit.ly/8kHY0b

    In short, not many current print newspapers could get away with this – the Sun has innovative layout, graphics, colour that work in this spot. A lot of daily print would look to drab and old-fashioned to ape the handheld experience.

  • http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/18/hillsborough-anniversary-sun-newspaper Ste

    Well spotted, this IS indeed a good ad. Shame the newspaper itself is a gutter-press rag that feeds off the misery of others. Thanks for the thoughts, nonetheless!

  • mikeydiy

    I agree with the concept making it simple, as well as the use of the word. It is better than calling it The Sun for Dummies or “dumbing down”. You have to reduce to the lowest common denominator to get the marketing message across.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevinmurray Kevin Murray

    Finally someone has mastered offline browsing!

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  • http://www.zoombits.fr/accessoires-ipod/ transmetteur fm

    haha, the future of ''snailpapers'' up close and personal, I love it. Sure, it's a snailpaper, and while it comes to our door in the morning with news that is already 12 hours late and stale already, it's still nice to read a print newspapers in these days of digital everything and screens everywhere. Nothing like a good snailpaper to make the day right. That's what I call “reading!” Long live the snailpapers of the world, even as they go the way of the dodo bird step by step.

  • http://www.davidwalker.tv/ David Walker

    That was very well done; simplicity finely crafted and doing as the Romans. Still, it's a new age and we're phasing out paper pretty fast. I can't think of anything I can't get online, don't know what postmen look like anymore and haven't snail-mailed a letter in ages.
    Cool ad, Sun, but it's like trying to save a sinking ship. How about you throw in the towel and save the trees?

  • http://www.davidwalker.tv/ David Walker

    That was very well done; simplicity finely crafted and doing as the Romans. Still, it's a new age and we're phasing out paper pretty fast. I can't think of anything I can't get online, don't know what postmen look like anymore and haven't snail-mailed a letter in ages.
    Cool ad, Sun, but it's like trying to save a sinking ship. How about you throw in the towel and save the trees?

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  • http://www.vitabits.de/chinesische-kraeuter/ginkgo-biloba-6000mg/16397 ginkgo biloba

    Hi,
    Yes its true simple has always deep meaning.I love creative ideas.If creativity and features and benefits are used, it should be with the purpose of advancing the brand promise so that it sticks out and cannot be ignored.

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  • http://www.sandor.com.my/ Kian Ann

    Haha! I like this!

    I think there are some things that will take eons to replace.

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  • http://www.eyewear-rayban.com ray ban wayfarer

    I'm a little late finding this article, but I loved it.

  • http://www.memorybits.co.uk/ usb flash drive

    LOL, very creative with what they had to work. More newspaper use social media to promote their products should be. But do not water a part of this video … Share content piece is held. Because even if you fake the way they share videos, still a kind experience.

  • kevinaddes

    it's always nice to read a newspaper printed in those days and all digital screens everywhere. Nothing like a good snailpaper to make the right day.
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  • http://www.yuregininsesi.com yuregininsesi

    Well spotted, this IS indeed a good ad. Shame the newspaper itself is a gutter-press rag that feeds off the misery of others. Thanks for the thoughts, nonetheless!

  • http://www.farango.com/ r4

    All this software is hostile user interfaces, instead of pressing the door handle pulls, hobs on the map where you give up and turn the knob that is warming.

  • http://amdwebservices.com/ Adam Dukes

    Very effective ad. Straight and to the point. Imagine that!

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