Latest 'Fake Steve Jobs' is lame, tasteless

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Latest ‘Fake Steve Jobs’ is lame, tasteless

1 February 2012 1,657 views 4 Comments

Although it took a couple years, Dan Lyons wore out his welcome as “Fake Steve Jobs.” Then there were the fleeting 15 seconds of fame enjoyed by this guy who actually bore a general resemblance to the Apple co-founder. Moreover, he had the good taste to do his schtick while Jobs was still alive and was selling pumpkin seeds rather than electronics.

Then there was the hyper-realistic Steve Jobs doll that never quite made it to market, but caused reasonable people everywhere to shiver with disgust.

Now, we have the tasteless buffoon shown above (clip below the fold) — Taiwanese “comedian” Ah-Ken is schilling tablets for Action Electronics and the result is just bad.

Wings and a halo? Certainly not the Steve Jobs we knew and loved.

And, the lamest part? The tablet on display comes loaded with less than fresh (i.e. December 2010) Android 2.3.

Garbage in, garbage out…

What’s your take?

4 Comments »

Jim Buchan said:

A letter to Action Electronics (that is my video in the blog above):

Good Day,

I am currently in Taiwan visiting family, and had a chance to see your Action Pad commercials and conferences with the Steve Jobs impersonator.

I find them in great distaste. They do not just cross the line of common business courtesy, respect and decorum, but completely ignore and leap over it.

This commercial is getting some pretty harsh criticism from some highly respected people, and every person that I have spoke with in Taiwan and elsewhere over the last several days regarding this campaign find it completely in bad taste.

As a business person and investor myself, I feel sometimes one needs to stand up for what is right and within common business decorum and respect, or we risk heading into a terrible downward spiral.

Unfortunately, I have requested a boycott of your company and the ACTION PAD TABLET from anyone who believes in common respect, courtesy and business decorum–please believe me, when I say that this is the first time that I have ever recommended boycotting a company or product and I take it with great seriousness, consideration and vigor.

Personally I am not a big Steve Jobs fan, I still use a PC and Blackberry, but I am big into respect and common courtesy in business and marketing/sales–I do realize that Mr. Jobs is being shown as an angel, but he is also being showed in his most unhealthy state, a man battling with cancer to the end. The ad is not only offensive to Mr. Jobs family, friends, fans and colleagues, but really anyone who has and/or is battling cancer, or knows/known someone who has, and this is truly a large percent of the population.

I am a capitalist at heart, actually a financial analyst and investment manager, and believe in the free markets and that the best and cheapest product should always prevail, but the tactics to market and sell one’s product do not ever need to be so boarding unethical and with a complete disregard for common courtesy. For example, Samsung, and other Android based tablets and Smartphones, have taken major market share without resorting to such disrespectful sales tactics, and that is my main point…if your product is good, which it actually appears to be based on reviews, it will sell, and there is no need for such style ad campaigns.

I fully understand that all publicity is “good publicity”, but I will be working very hard to promote this boycott until these commercials are no longer aired in Taiwan or elsewhere, and I do have a pretty large online following, and sometimes submit and publish editorials in major Canadian and US newspapers. As well I am often contracted to provide analysis and opinion to other investment managers in North America and abroad.

I truly think that this marketing tactic should be re-evaluated as I believe that it may do more harm than good for your investors, and the good reputation of your fine company.

It is just disappointing, as I would expect more considerate business decisions from such a highly respected company and team of executives.

Kindest Regards,

Chen Jia Fong in Linkou Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan (a.k.a. Jim Buchan originally from Ottawa, ON)

# 2 February 2012 at 1:35 am

Russell said:

“..common business courtesy, respect and decorum,..”

“I feel sometimes one needs to stand up for what is right and within common business decorum and respect, or we risk heading into a terrible downward spiral.”

“I have requested a boycott of your company and the ACTION PAD TABLET from anyone who believes in common respect, courtesy and business decorum.”

“I am big into respect and common courtesy in business and marketing/sales.”

“…the tactics to market and sell one’s product do not ever need to be so boarding unethical and with a complete disregard for common courtesy.”

“..without resorting to such disrespectful sales tactics”

“It is just disappointing, as I would expect more considerate business decisions from such a highly respected company and team of executives.”

Apple (=Steve Jobs) is guilty of the same things you are complaining about.

# 2 February 2012 at 1:05 pm

Bob D Bob said:

When Did Apple ever whore crap products using the dead?!? What alternate reality do you live in — idiot.

# 2 February 2012 at 5:55 pm

James is still said:

I’m a little late to this thread, but it’s very much a topic for further discussion.
Like Jim I also live and work in Taiwan. However, I am not too surprised that a company here would create such a tasteless ad. The makers of the Action Pad, Taiwan’s Action Electronics must have let their trashy and shameless marketing department go ape poop!

The Steve Jobs impersonator, Ah Ken (阿肯), is known for taking on strange roles on local television. It’s hard to watch local TV, which I’ve been avoiding like the plague, without seeing Ah Ken in some strange role. Believe me when I say that I’ve seen him in some strange roles lately. Because of this, he has become very popular. In Taiwan, as well as in many other places, being shameless is the only way to become popular.

A boycott of Action Electronics products wouldn’t do much as it looks like the company is already on desperate vines. They‘ve choked themselves with this ad. There has already been some backlash from heads of bigger local IT companies in the Chinese speaking press. An Action Electronic spoke person said that the company was using Jobs’ image of promoting good products for people to promote their Android product. Yeah, right! No one wants to even look at the Action Pad.

Ads like this are popping up in Mainland China as well. There is an ad promoting a US$15 hair dryer called iFeng 4 (iwind 4) as a “tribute” to Steve Jobs (http://www.weibo.com/1642632024/y3hy9sZvm) . I wish that I were making this up. Every person that I spoke to about this in Taipei thinks the ad is disrespectful as well as tasteless. This is a case where the inside making of a company shows to the bone.

Just as an added note: The actor, Ah Ken, who impersonated Jobs in this shameless commercial shows up at the gym where I workout from time to time. Maybe I should go up to him and ask why did he do this ad and how he feels about the backlash from this ad.

Regards,
James
New Taipei City, Taiwan
新北市，台灣

# 6 February 2012 at 12:46 pm