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July 10, 2007

Will An iPhone Blend?

Duncan Riley

49 comments »

Will an iPhone Blend? Find out in the video below from blender maker Blendtec. The company creates an online video show called “Will It Blend” that ranks in 5 figures on Alexa, and has already blended a range of consumer goods. It’s very clever online marketing for a kitchenware company, however iPhone fans may think otherwise.

  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 at 9:57 pm and is filed under Web 2.0 News & Ideas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Comments

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  1. Ed

    July 10th, 2007 at 10:03 pm

    Not even to mention that the blendtec videos, collectively, have something like 15 million views on youtube.

    It’s absolutely brilliant marketing. I’d love to see their sales figures.

  2. Jeremy

    July 10th, 2007 at 10:19 pm

    This advertisement got 6000+ diggs. Do you really need to cross post it? I come to techcrunch for business news, not viral videos.

  3. Kewtr

    July 10th, 2007 at 10:22 pm

    Gotta say even as an Apple ‘hater’ that’s painful to watch. As for appropriateness, what the hell it’s the evening.

  4. Stan Oleynick

    July 10th, 2007 at 10:28 pm

    They probably wasted 2 iPhones, 1 to see whether it will blend for themselves and the other to show us if it did…

    Believe me, they are not doing it without first seeing the results for themselves!!

    On the other hand they might tape it only once and if “it blends” they show it to us, if not they don’t…

    It would be more interesting and original if they did it without knowing what would happen!

  5. Phil

    July 10th, 2007 at 10:49 pm

    Awwww, poor baby Jeremy got a viral video instead of business news. Poor baby.

  6. Disillusioned Reader

    July 10th, 2007 at 10:53 pm

    I’m with Jeremy on this one…

    Duncan, you’re clearly a good writer, and I have to respect you for that. But your topic choices are a grave concern, and that is where I take issue.

    Writing for TechCrunch is a dream job for bloggers. Why, then, are you squandering that opportunity by posting such utter crap? Complete with unnecessary exposition for an oversaturated months-old meme?

    I come here to read about the industry. Not about fluff. I get plenty of exposure to mind candy at digg, BoingBoing, Fark, or a dozen other places.

    If this esteemed blog does not regain its focus soon, I’m going to stop reading. So will others.

    I’ll leave you with a statement found elsewhere on this site:

    “TechCrunch, founded on June 11, 2005, is a weblog dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies.”

    Words to live by.

  7. Duncan Riley

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:11 pm

    Jeremy and commenter 6
    Your senses of humor called, they want you back. From a Web 2.0 marketing perspective this is brilliant, a completely clever and inspired idea. If you cant have some fun and see a brilliant viral Web 2.0 campaign at work, it’s your loss, not mine.

  8. Dan

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:13 pm

    I didn’t know viral marketing, or blenders, were “web 2.0″ inventions.

  9. Allen

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:14 pm

    Dear Disillusioned Reader, I’m with you on this one. I truly respect the writers at TechCrunch, and have anxiously been waiting for over a month to have my new internet company “profiled and reviewed” by a member of the team. Here is to watching an iPhone blend!

    Allen
    Famesource.com - Claim your fame!
    http://www.famesource.com

  10. Duncan Riley

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:21 pm

    Dan
    the distribution method clearly is Web 2.0.

  11. Shawn

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:25 pm

    Oh man that was awesome! The best part about that whole video is how the guy just stands there smiling politely Ha ha ha! Viral Marketing Genius!
    Thanks for posting Duncan, it’s nice to see a little change up once and a while.

  12. gilltots

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:35 pm

    oooh techcrunch smackdown!

    in this corner, weighing it at outdated and lame, Duncan Riley!

    and in this corner, weighing it at whiny and moany, the readers!

    *DING*

  13. gilltots

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:45 pm

    oh and as a follow up, i want to see them try to blend one of their own blenders.

    either way, they lose! goddamn i am a genius.

  14. Jeremy

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:49 pm

    Gilltots: Now that was funny.

    Duncan: I’d love to see a proper writeup on those blender guys and their marketing, but what I saw was an excuse to post a funny video. Maybe I’m still bitter from that “Nintendo training video” one from a few days ago. They just seem out of place, especially since your readers probably already say them on the type of sites you cover. Just one reader’s opinion. No love lost.

  15. Noah

    July 10th, 2007 at 11:59 pm

    Duncan! What happened to your awesome post on Microsoft’s search market share? And how the hell did it gain 5% over one month? That’s $5 billion, if you read Don Dodge. I think people here should be talking about this…

  16. Duncan Riley

    July 11th, 2007 at 12:01 am

    Jeremy
    fair enough, and you’re right, they probably deserve a full write up. TechCrunch has always had the occasional fun post though. In my own defense, the video has nearly hit the top of Techmeme + I received a number of emails from readers pointing to it…it was a reader suggested thing and I still like it, even if destroying a $600 iPhone is probably an insane thing to do :-)

  17. bdb

    July 11th, 2007 at 12:31 am

    Duncan, the blender comes in two models on amazon (I’d post the link, but askimet…):

    $400 (marked down from $599)

    $845 (marked down from $1485)

    Not many conversions needed to cover the cost here.

    Check amazon for yourself.

  18. David Kobia

    July 11th, 2007 at 1:05 am

    Why all the hatin’. I don’t mind a little humor now and then here on TechCrunch. Besides, it breaks the monotony of all the new Web 2.0 sites launching every day. It seems everyone and their mama is launching something new (web 2.0′ish). Honestly Duncan, you guys must get bombarded with hundreds of half wit ideas.

    I thought the iPhone blend was brilliant - I literally held my breath in anticipation!

    Thanks…

  19. Noahsark

    July 11th, 2007 at 1:36 am

    …pathetic waste or resources… yeah yeah im not totally green or anything but doing somehting like this still a waste and shows how pathetic some people can be… maybe not the point but hey, woul di feel the same if it was a windows phone… nahhh… blend thm all! : )

  20. Michael Arrington

    July 11th, 2007 at 1:59 am

    This is awesome.

  21. beyondwww

    July 11th, 2007 at 4:21 am

    Hmmm quite video.. Actually its interesting that the iphone takes a while to blend, so it makes it strong as well ;).

  22. mom..

    July 11th, 2007 at 4:51 am

    Lol will it blend it self?

  23. website copywriter

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:05 am

    It was too painful to watch; I even covered my eyes at one point. Oh wow, what a waste. I mean, I know they could afford it and it makes for a great marketing campagin, but a lot of people would’ve been happier to see it given away in a contest instead.

    Did you notice how the iPhone was still actually on halfway through its annihilation?

  24. Josh Bernoff

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:16 am

    Our interview with Blendtec’s George Wright, plus comments on why their marketing strategy works and how you can do the same is here:

    http://blogs.forrester.com/cha.....dcom-.html

  25. beyondwww

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:47 am

    Well, that could be one of the reasons why people are so adamant on blending iphone.

  26. Tech Tools

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:52 am

    Who doesn’t like watching expensive gadgets blended to death then poured into a cocktail glass.
    I know I do.

  27. IT News Sweden What.se

    July 11th, 2007 at 7:03 am

    I loves the way Blendtec avoided one thing that WON’T blend:

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=ifz.....mp;search=

  28. allan branch

    July 11th, 2007 at 7:10 am

    The video just made 1000 Mac Fan Boys Cried, including me.

  29. Rachel

    July 11th, 2007 at 7:25 am

    Ahh this Blendtec guy has been really big for a really long time on YouTube. He even appeared on CBS News. He does the craziest things. And he tries to blend anything and everything. So frankly I’m not surprised.

    But I definitely agree that it is great marketing and an effective way to raise brand awareness.

  30. Concrete Stain

    July 11th, 2007 at 7:31 am

    This is advertising 2.0 ‘ for sure - great post.

    - great humor from duncan to #6 ;)

  31. Andrew da Silva

    July 11th, 2007 at 7:44 am

    Hey Stan, they do show us the video if it does not blend, I think they got one on YouTube, can’t remember the product though. it got stuck in the blender or somethin’

  32. David Litsky

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:11 am

    This reminds me of the old vacuum cleaner infomercials demonstrating the product picking up quarters and bolts — but with a much broader audience.

  33. time

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:30 am

    Awesome. I LOVE my iPhone. Apple user for over a decade…

    This video made me smile.

    BlendTech rocks.

  34. sojo

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:51 am

    Here’s a link to the blended iphone on ebay - he wasn’t kidding when he said he’d put it up there ;-) -
    http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-iPho.....dZViewItem

  35. bernie lomax

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:57 am

    ORLY! What’s up with TechCrunch turning into Engadget lately? This is here because…..?

  36. chris

    July 11th, 2007 at 9:53 am

    Never been to this site before, someone emailed a link to me. Looks like a useful site. So I guess perhaps posting the odd interesting article is worthwhile after all!

  37. Sean

    July 11th, 2007 at 10:14 am

    Maybe you haters should read CNet News instead of TechCrunch.

    KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK Duncan (and Mike) … we love variety (esp the fun stuff).

  38. steve

    July 11th, 2007 at 10:20 am

    OK — let me try to bridge the debate on appropriateness. I bought the commercial BlendTec blender for our home. Wanted to get more fruits and fibers down my young daughters (4 & 2). Had wanted to buy one for the home since mid-nineties when living in San Diego I got addicted to the Mango-Tango smoothies at Jimbo’s (local health food store). They used BlendTec, but it was hard to buy for the home. First off, have had several out of the way dealings with BledTec, and it is a great small company with terrific service. Second, the commercial blender has automation built in with electronics. It is far and away the best blender on the market — my old VitaMix is not even close. So here is a small company, composed of what I have found to be great people, selling a state of the art product utilizing advanced electronics to make better Smoothies. If this was a game box, or a Sling box NO ONE would think it inappropriate to report on it on Techcrunch. But it is a blender, and that’s too UNCOOL to report here. I am glad Techcrunch reported on this. Problem is they presented it as a bit of a lark when in reality this is a solid company, selling a great product, and just KILLING IT with an amazing viral campaign — it gets milliions of hits, and yet sells the product too.

  39. Alan Wilensky

    July 11th, 2007 at 10:37 am

    Well, it had a lithium battery, and many toxic materials, and yes, dont breathe the dust!

  40. aw

    July 11th, 2007 at 11:06 am

    iSmoke - now that was funny.

    My inlaws need a new blender. Guess which one I’m going to get?

    Good story Duncan.

  41. iHateU

    July 11th, 2007 at 2:09 pm

    sick of people smashing, blending, exploding cool things up! of course the Wii will smash if you put a hammer to it! and yeah the iphone will shred to bits if you blend it! Durrrrr! i need an iphone!!! i need a wii!!! GIVE IT TO ME!!

  42. Stan Oleynick

    July 11th, 2007 at 6:49 pm

    The blended iPhone is now for sale on eBay:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA.....0129995323

  43. Chris

    July 11th, 2007 at 8:14 pm

    I’m sure some Apple fans cried after that - they probably would have paid 3 times the retail price to get a hold of that. Even so, I found it oddly satisfying

    -Chris
    http://www.nerdcouncil.com

  44. Sean

    July 12th, 2007 at 6:50 pm

    I’m with the haters on this one. I don’t come here for gadget news or funny videos. Get your focus back, TC, these days this is one of the most boring sites I read.

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