The Bottled Walkman: Marketing Genius Beth Snyder February 19, 2014 One company that is obviously doing something right is Sony. Starting with their very first Walkman (which was just a radio, for those of you too young to remember), they’ve made a niche for themselves in a market flooded with options. Now they’re selling a waterproof Walkman MP3 player, and the way they’re marketing it is sure to get attention. See, the Walkman is waterproof, and marketed toward those who want to listen to their tunes while swimming. So to demonstrate how truly waterproof it is, they’re selling it packaged in a bottle of water. It’s just floating around in there, waiting for you to pull it out and put it on. They’re even selling them in vending machines in New Zealand at gyms and pools, so you can grab one as you head in to do your laps. I am in awe…and I’m not one who usually raves about advertising campaigns. This is just neat, though, and I have to give mad props to both Sony and DraftFCB (the Auckland-based advertising agency they teamed up with for this). Here’s a thing it’s sad for me to have to mention: Don’t drink the water. By all means, after you’ve removed the Walkman, wash the bottle and reuse it for water, but don’t drink the water that comes with it. Nobody needs to get sick (or worse) because they assumed it was potable water. It isn’t. The new waterproof Walkman costs $98.00 US. Source: Damn Geeky Share This With The World!
