The art of stereotyping smartphones

Verizon's advertising, marketing and promotions departments should be ashamed of themselves.

Instead of focusing on all the good points of the two best smartphones it sells -- the Motorola DROID and the new Palm Pre Plus -- Verizon has decided on a somewhat sexist ad campaign.  The carrier wants you to believe that Palm Pre Pluses are just for girls and that Verizon DROID phones are just for boys.

I wish Verizon had discussed this idea with me before spending all that money on commercials and the like. 

I think I understand where the company is coming from.  The DROID is a handsome phone with bold and solid straight lines (I guess that's supposed to denote a "masculine" phone) while the Pre Plus is somewhat smaller in size with a smoother, rounded, dare I say "sexier" shape (female?)  Stereotypical to the max.

I can tell you from personal experience that there are many women who appreciate the DROID and similarly shaped devices (like T-Mobile's G1 Android phone).  And there are just as many masculine men who love using their Palm Pres and Pre Pluses.  Why not?  The DROID and Pre are both terrific smartphones.

But Verizon has chosen to market the new Palm smartphone to women.  Actually, the new TV ads (in both English and in Spanish) are probably aimed towards men who might be coaxed into buying these phones for women as Valentine's Day gifts.

Hogwash.

Both men and women should buy these phones for loved ones because they're well-priced modern-day devices and would make great gifts for any occasion. 

It might be a horrible thing if cell phone manufacturers and cellular providers actually started making phones just for women or men.  I wonder how they would decide which cell phones would get which "male" or "female" features (or not).  I wouldn't want to have to make that decision.

I'm hoping that Verizon has some less sexist ads in the works for airing after Valentine's Day.  Even the commercials with Red and Blue maps are preferable.

And that also brings up the question of whether iPhones and BlackBerrys are male or female devices?  Does it even matter?

(Bonus: the Spanish version is just as bad...)

Contact Gary Krakow via email or follow @GaryKrakow on Twitter