Diamond Shaped Phones Are a Girl's Best Friend?

While everything from laptops to Scrabble is getting dipped in Pepto Bismol and glitter to attract the ladies, Sony Ericsson has one-upped the rest of the gendered marketing world with the soon to be released Jalou phone.
Rather than slap some pink on it and call it a day, Sony Ericsson "explored art, architecture and furniture trends whilst delving deep into the couture and fashion world" to determine just what the ladies would be looking for in a cell phone in 2010. Evidently plaid is out but, "structured forms, intricate corners, hidden depths" are in. Um...sure.
The phone is shaped like a facet-cut diamond, and "depth" refers to a "variety of different shine and matt [sic] finishes," not tech specs. The key pad also features diamond shaped keys—since concern about conflict diamonds was so last year.
The Jalou isn't targeted to every woman. Rather, it is the lifestyle choice for the young, urban, and single with disposable income: "Share the good life. Chat on the treadmill, text in the taxi, snap and share photos from the club: Jalou™ lets you share your life in style."
How does the Jalou offer help to do this?
"The two inch screen’s clever design means that at the touch of a button the screen becomes a mirror, offering a discreet way to make sure you look as good as your mobile phone. It is also the first Sony Ericsson to feature Walk Mate step counter, to help you stay in shape wherever you go. It also has an exclusive fashion interface which automatically updates with zodiac signs and special events throughout the year."
Vanity, body image, and horoscopes aren't the only stereotypes Sony Ericcson made sure cover. Catfights will also be all the rage in 2010. Jalou is derived from the french, jalouse meaning jealousy.
Strangely the phone does not actually come in pink direct from Ericcson, but in the semi-precious colors Deep Amethyst, Aquamarine Blue, and Onyx Black. You'll have to splurge for the Dolce & Gabanna edition, which comes in "sparkling rose" complete with 24-gold karat plating, to really fulfill your gendered fashion needs—just forget about that pesky wage gap.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Comments
Wow, that is some insulting
Wow, that is some insulting advertising/design.
I was similarly bothered by LG's marketing of the Lotus as a trend-setting phone for the fashion-conscious, with its flashy purple paisley option.
I was attracted to the phone only after I realized that it does all the things a giant Blackberry does (aside from being able to connect to a corporate network) without the extras (and extra costs) I don't need. Of course, if it hadn't also been offered in plain black, I might have been less interested in carrying it around, but that's just a matter of personal preference, I suppose.
So what happens if it does
So what happens if it does well? Whose fault will that be?
And if you were a marketing guru trying to increase market share among young, single urban women whose life revolved around the treadmill, the taxi and the club, how would you market your phone?
What exactly is your issue here?
This is like me complaining about Dodge ads featuring macho meatheads...
buy chaeap genericc viagra
Sony are going to have to be smarter than this
if they want a slice of the smartphone market and I suspect women are more savvy than Sony imagine - even the younger ones who are still interested in Barbie!
iPhone Application Developer
I was similarly bothered by LG's marketing of the Lotus as a trend-setting phone for the fashion-conscious, with its flashy purple paisley option.
Post new comment
MoJo Comments: Send Us Your Feedback
We changed our spam software to better filter comments. Should you encounter any issues, please let us know.


