Commercial
on television the other day.
Stunning
claim.
Said,
in not so many words, that it was basically pioneering hands-free
technology for its industry.
On
the surface, that seems like a pretty sweet claim. Technology.
Hands-free.
But,
you know, context.
This
revolution in hands-free technology was arriving for…
…sneakers.
Hands-free
technology for sneakers.
And
I sat there a bit dazed. Because, after all, in a word… slippers.
Sure,
there are all sorts of slip-on shoes. Which, in turn makes them
hands-free. Loafers. Boat shoes.
A
company might have firmed up the heel, added some elastic stretchy
parts, or just designed things to be firm in some places and less
resistant in others. Maybe said company was even able to get some
patents or trademarks approved. Good for them if they did.
But
I have to point out, when just the thought of some comfy slippers
has you beat by decades (if not centuries), it’s really hard to
take a brag about your new technology seriously.
To
pause for a second, we should point out that the shoes may actually
be pretty awesome. Commercial I saw… and I’ve now seen it more
than once… was from Skechers. I’ve got a pair or two of Skechers
in my closet right now. I like them. Good shoes. So, this is not
about the company or its products. It’s about the claims and marketing.
How
is a pair of slip-on shoes really breaking new ground with hands-free
technology?
My
guess is, it’s not. Skechers absolutely knows about other shoes
that slide on to your feet. And, though I haven’t tried any of
their shoes on since seeing this commercial, my guess would be
they have done a few things to redesign the shoe, perhaps even
as I suggest with my guesses about a firmer heel and such.
Instead,
it makes the commercial something of a humor piece. A claim for
new and improved shoes by adjusting the marketing and presentation
by not using the phrase new and improved. An update. If you will.
Everyone
loves hands-free, so they market them as hands-free. Great work,
meeting done.
But
for me it sounds out of tune. Off key. Not right. Hands-free technology,
as if the sneakers feature Bluetooth and we’re soon going to see
them connecting to your smartphone, your car’s navigation system,
and perhaps even to your refrigerator.
Now,
when you consider that twenty years ago I would never have guessed
my washing machine would feature a design that could text me so
I’d know when the load is ready to move to the dryer, I suppose
I’d have to say that sneakers with the ability to keep me from
wandering to the fridge might have some interesting applications.
But that’s not a tangent to this story we need to explore just
yet.
Instead,
I’m just wondering about the things we hear and the phrases that
get used. We’ve got a hands-free technology concept that pops
up when the term is presented. For me, it involves wireless earpieces,
headsets, or talking to the dashboard of my car. The phrase does
not immediately connect me to my flip flops when I have things
in my hands and I want to slide something on me feet before heading
out into the driveway. But maybe that’s me.
Then
again, maybe the industry is ready to bring shoephones to the
masses. And when it happens, Skechers will be leading the way.
After all, they may have the patents and the trademarks already.