JBL's Marketing Blunder..

Who buys JBL?

Apparently Gen Z.

Most Gen Z are clueless. Might be pretty accurate.

@secretguy you asked who buys JBL, I do. I bought the JBL L100 Classic speakers back in December 2020 and I couldn’t be more thrilled with them.  They are in a secondary system powered by McIntosh electronics and I truly love the sound.  

I bought a pair of the new L52 JBL speakers.  SWEET!  They're really cool and sound pretty damn good. 

My graduation present, way back in the day, from my parents was a pair of the original L100 Century's in blue.  Wish I still had them...

@deep_333 

What are you talking about? There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek, but the girls hardly come off as idiots. The one who does all of the talking seems to know exactly what she's talking about.

Anyway, it would be refreshing to see the tables turned occasionally. For many years it has been considered acceptable for women to hit men on TV shows and commercials as well as tell them how stupid and inconsiderate they are.

JBL is a marketing blunder!

 When I was young and foolish, I bought more than one pair in my day. I always got rid of them soon afterwards. There are much better speakers.  
bent

I agree with @roxy54, and I don't understand the outrage.  I didn't have the impression that the girls were being portrayed as idiots.  The ad seemed to target young buyers who want an easy, set it and forget it, audio solution that interfaces with a wide range of electronic sources.  

I suggest you watch the 2nd link, the discourse with Audioholics and Emiko (who also hails from pro audio) and see if they thought everything was fine and dandy on this ad. I wonder if Eveanna Manley is on this forum, would be curious to know what she thought!

Have you forgotten lighthearted and humorous?  They are informational and fun, I see no slam on women here, and I’ve got a wife, daughter, and granddaughter, too.

I'm fdoing a commentary Video on this. I was suppose to drop it last week after seeing Emiko & Mean Gene's Video here. They are 100% correct ! IMHO

https://youtu.be/kH26gEjnxTQ?si=HoD-PPJoh8qiMLJp

JoeyG

🤷‍♂️  I dunno.... 'JBL Mods' would've been more apt.....reminded me more of the 'Val-speak' in Zappas' 'Valley Girl' slowed a tad and collected conceptually.

Tracks of 'chat contractions' made out loud; "Chatlit?"

An extreme example of the forms....we've been hiring X's and Z's for awhile now, you've just got to be around them ...

@VLFest '24: Fun, but tiring...not the oldest there, either. 👍😎

The video was like for a sheltered woke student  that is clueless.

JBL should pull the dumb ad and put a few women on their design team 

to invite. Them to enjoy music onthe same level as men .

women have been left out of music for decades ,sad but true..

I watched the whole video but didn't notice any "woke" signaling. Is that just a catch all phrase for "I don't like it" now?

Target: New Valley Girls.  (aka stoned)

No blunder there!

I liked the commercial generally... don't be a beta male.

YouTuber’s are having a tough time finding meaningful content.  Trying to create controversy when none is present.  

I watched the link. I saw nothing wrong with it. FWIW my 24 year old niece is in her third year of medical school and shares a townhouse with several classmates. They all sound exactly like the women in the video. They aren’t stupid, it’s just how they talk.

I started to watch on line critic but stopped after a few minutes. He is trying to generate clicks with faux outrage

Blunder?

Cleverly focusing on untapped market potential using humor, showcasing new products and explaining how to implement them. Well done!

What a bunch of hubbub over nothing.

What up?

Ovi.

Ew.

Woof!

They got it all covered.

I see it as marketing laziness at the expense of 51% of the population.  Or, are they evil geniuses by stirring things up?  I think they could have done better

There is nothing wrong with that video; it is spot on for the demographic they are marketing to. Yes, that is how people in their 20s and early 30s talk. The fact that this is all in a long 6-minute video is what’s not for that crowd. The different chapters, such as TikTok, Shorts, or Insta Stories, are bang on.

How do I know? I’m a content director for a digital marketing agency and I"m around younger people all the time.

As for JBL is junk. The video is about home theatre, not hi-fi.

Finally, STOP F&KING GATEKEEPING. Let people have their own journey. No one appointed or elected you the master of what is approved or appropriate.

By Ditzy Airheads" you man "strong independent womyn" right?  

+1 @rumblestrip 

The notion that JBL's ad company created that advert in a vacuum with no demographic input is a stretch. These critics come off as looking for something to critique to generate content. Perhaps Audioholics is unaware of how anyone younger than a late-30-something millennial interacts with their peers. They're always on their phones. That is how they talk and interact with each other. 

It's doubtful that the advertising agency's creative team was a bunch of old guys, ala Mad Men, came up with this advert. If anything, they should be happy the ad doesn't hyper-sexualize the woman making love to her speakers in a bikini because that would have been the path taken in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The newer generation of audiophiles doesn't necessarily want to set up separate components and twiddle with cable ladders, power block amps, swapping out an endless train of DACs, etc. They want something they can stream to with their phone, has ease of set up, and sounds much better than the $90 Bluetooth speaker they grew up with.  90% of them will be streaming through the TV and most are more interested in having a platform that isn't just audio playback. JBLs setup might not be your cup of tea, but then again, we're not the target audience for the advert. 

+2 @rumblestrip 

Those who taught Gen Z are now blaming them 

Isn't that hypocritical?

"I suggest you watch the 2nd link, the discourse with Audioholics and Emiko (who also hails from pro audio) and see if they thought everything was fine and dandy on this ad."

I'm with those who think the ad is fine. I think some people may be viewing the ad from and audiophile's perspective, and audiophiles (like Emiko) are not the target audience. JBL is clearly aiming the ad at entry level audio consumers, and specifically young women who have traditionally not been their customers. So what's wrong with that?

It may seem like stereotyping but, for whatever the reasons may be, women (in general) have not been audio equipment consumers much less enthusiasts. JBL is obviously looking to change that. As I see it, the young women in the ad seem to be a fairly accurate representation of that target group.

I wouldn't have even known about this ad if not on this site. Like many I don't see anything wrong with it. They are not targeting this community. Most that see something wrong just have your panties on too tight! 

A grass roots effort is perhaps needed to help depopularize the vocal fry phenomenon...

Vocal Fry Mitigation

I didn't find anything 'airheady' about the ad. Just because somebody is not an audiophile does not make them an 'airhead' or 'clueless' - the ad is not aimed at audiophiles! 

And while I enjoy Audioholics and his channel, I don't always agree with him, and I sure don't agree with his premise here. 

testpilot

YouTuber’s are having a tough time finding meaningful content. Trying to create controversy when none is present.  

That's the "audiophile" Youtuber protocol. Drama! Excitement! Exclusive revelations! Almost all of the Youtubers can be safely ignored.

Vocal fry is not really the thing I thought it was. very widespread, cross cultural.  https://youtu.be/Q0yL2GezneU?si=2g-F1tmxpYb2O_Co

"As for JBL is junk"

I'll bet a lot of older content you are listening to was mixed down with 4311 control room monitors.

It's suppose to be funny. Have you spent any time with people in their 20's? Sadly, this is what they are like. They hang out in a room, all doing something on their phones, and they don't really talk to each other. They are very "whatever" 

Think JBL was trying to connect to a younger audience who is mostly happy listing to music on their phones, and BT speakers. Trying to do some education without bring boring, or preachy. Just this is the cool stuff, or whatever...

Tempest in a teapot here...Nothing wrong with this ad.

@larsman +1

the ad is not aimed at audiophiles!

@cleeds

Almost all of the Youtubers can be safely ignored.

Yup - their opinions at least. I do need them occasionally when I have to figure out how to do something.

@deep_333 - Awesome YouTube vid on vocal fry.

I actually find vocal fry somewhat of a welcome addition as a less irritating form of speech compared to upspeak that I despise.  Speaking of a disinterested form of speech.  At least they didn't use fundie baby voice.

As we know, JBL is amongst the most successful audio companies of all time both on the professional & home audio sectors. They’re smart folks who know what they’re doing & it’s nice to see them trying to turn a younger crowd onto better quality sound  than on their phone or computer. I haven’t heard the stuff they’re promoting but it probably works well & sounds pretty good for the $ & potentially nice stepping stone to the next level of equipment more often discussed here. 
 

As for how they depicted their target audience, it was pretty right in to what I see & hear from my employees of that age group albeit in a funny, slightly “ tongue in cheek “ fashion. Pretty well done.

Have you spent any time with people in their 20's? Sadly, this is what they are like. They hang out in a room, all doing something on their phones, and they don't really talk to each other. They are very "whatever"

yea, interesting and relevant. I don't see the problem.  Old white guys inventing anger if you ask me.  Lots of young men would learn a lot from this, too!

Dudes. This is a male dominated hobby so of course you'll get more than a smidgen of typical, lost in the past impressions from clueless men. That ad was pretty good satire and very clever at that. It breaks down tons of barriers to Gen Zers out there, making stereo palatable again. 

I can see the younger generation that so many here lament about seeing the value of this hobby watching that ad and going for it. Isn't that what we old timers want?

All the best,
Nonoise

I can see the younger generation that so many here lament about seeing the value of this hobby watching that ad and going for it. Isn't that what we old timers want?

Totally. Except for the grumbling grandpas preferring their sour grapes. 

@rumblestrip + 3 or 4 or whatever count we are at. Especially the gatekeeping part.

@bojack ;)....try 'conniption fits over cables'....that might strike 'stones' 'round heya....*LOL*  😏

Tough crowd...🤨

It's been poked 'n kicked about occasionally as to 'omg, the Real 'Philes are going to fade into the dirt, misunderstood and considered *SHOCK*

...loners....'

Well....we have all the earmarks...and not meant as a pun.

Audio, and the means to make 'all of it' sound better, regardless of source.

The tech has risen to where we used to strive for, and overall is doing fairly well at it.  Just because the product isn't meant for you, or us for that matter...

So F'n what....the way of all things cultural and evolutions of societies.

At the end of any day....there's bigger fryers to be concerned over of late.

Let the nice young women make a buck in an ad designed by JBL and all involved to push their products into the next decade and stay in the game.

Besides....'the really Serious buy esotery for sums they can afford'...

Let them eat cake....😒

"I'm asvjerry, and I approve of this message...."

...take 2 aspirin and don't call me in the morning...

...or don't... ;)

Play loud....or get out where it IS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZLkOcNheZY

It’s actually brilliant & yes, without question girls in this agegroup speak EXACTLY like this. It’s pretty cute but is really just an extention of how they comunicate through SM. JBL gets it... these kids had JBL Pill Bluetooth speakers in college and are now through all that and out in the world making money. I have kids in this demographic and I see them very clearly. It’s brand recognition; JBL, Beats, Klipsch, Nike, Adidas are recognizable brands for them. They tend to go for what they know and just expound on it or... they go heavy retro with a vintage system and MCM furniture in their 1st big boy, big girl apartments/homes. One thing’s for sure, they are helping drive the market. Jjust look at vinyl sales. The ad is on point and strikes perfectly the note they are trying to play. Just my opinion.

Modern day, knee-jerk drama being manufactured where there is none. The JBL is fine, and targeted at a specific audience (guess what geezers, you’re not it).

Good on their marketing team for trying to bring a younger, more diverse population into the hobby even if it’s through the lifestyle/home theater door.

As for the ditzy-airhead comment, these (admittedly fictional) young women must be doing something right if they’re lounging around in home worth $500k-$1M and appointed to an equal level. 

@hifiguy42 + 1