September 19, 2007

Ooma’s First (Drug Induced?) Viral Video

Michael Arrington

250 comments »

New consumer VOIP service Ooma officially launched yesterday and began selling units on their website. See additional coverage from Dean Takahashi and Adweek.

They also released their first (drug induced?) viral video to promote the service, which I have embedded above. The video was conceptualized by Ashton Kutcher, the company’s creative director (hear our interview with Kutcher and CEO Andrew Frame here). Kutcher’s production company, Katalyst Films, produced it.

The company says the video is loaded with symbolism, and the meaning will become clearer over time as more videos are released in the series. Whatever it is, it’s entertaining.

Get one of the last ten free Oomas

The company gave TechCrunch readers fifty free Ooma systems in July. Today they say they’ll give us more to distribute to readers now - the last ten free Oomas. To win, leave a comment below and tell me WTF you think the video means, because I have no idea. The most creative answers win.

Sphere It

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Nick

September 19th, 2007 at 7:01 pm

I think it means that people are sick of ATT changing their name. Are they SBC? ATT? Cingular? Just pick a name already!
alexanderpink

September 19th, 2007 at 7:03 pm

It means that ooma opens up a new world in telecom, dreams may be realized and all that, and that it isn’t playing with the old telco bullies, but instead is doing it’s own thing, imagining things as it would like the to be, and creating this world.
Ray Burt

September 19th, 2007 at 7:05 pm

It means “I wish I were Arjun Mehta” — starting a cool company in 6th grade. Then I’d have lots of friends!
Pet

September 19th, 2007 at 7:07 pm

I think the video’s message says that unless you have something cool and different, no one will take notice.

Related to that, the “oo” in the Ooma sound like “uh, ah”, the sound you would make when you see something amazing.
Colehoo

September 19th, 2007 at 7:08 pm

Wow - ok, I think ol’ Ashton is delving a little too much into a combination of films: Alice in Wonderland (fantastic journey), Matrix (I’m powerful because I believe) and A Beautiful Mind (because the kid is, sadly, a creative genius who’s a little whacked) laced with some good paoti.

Here’s the message I got from it:
The VOIP studs wouldn’t let the creators of Ooma play so they went out and created their own piece of beauty that brings everyone to their side. (I especially liked the preschool reference to “chicks dig it.” It seems Ashton is going the opposite way from his real life.)

It’s all about believing in yourself and making your dreams happen, dude! Maybe Ashton can put that on a trucker hat.

Hope you’ve decompressed from the conference, Mike.
Greg

September 19th, 2007 at 7:09 pm

This video is a flashback of some guy’s childhood… but altered.

Today the grown man, still reeling from being unpopular with the guys and gals as a kid, recently bought an OOMA. Phone calls are now free for him. He imagines that his classmates have to pay for phone calls. He is happy that he is on the bleeding edge of technology.

The flashback of being rejected on the playground comes back to the guy, but this time, things are different. The clouds, smoke and flowers could be a reference to the 70’s, but whatever it is, the guy has it, and the other kids don’t. They want what he has.

Does he share the clouds, smoke and flowers with his classmates? In the present day, does he tell them about OOMA?
Marco

September 19th, 2007 at 7:09 pm

Ooma is more than just imagination … nothing is impossible lol
MaxS

September 19th, 2007 at 7:10 pm

I think it means “I don’t know anything about viral videos but I will make one anyway.” Let’s be serious here, their creative director is a celebrity, not a professional.
Psycho

September 19th, 2007 at 7:11 pm

I think it means you should remove the ad that says: “Register to attend TechCrunch40 Sept ‘07″
marco rivera

September 19th, 2007 at 7:11 pm

Excellent video! Wow…
Just goes to show that everyone can make their dreams come true!
Phil

September 19th, 2007 at 7:13 pm

Maybe it means that, to spend 100 dollars more on Oooma than you would on an iPhone, some sort of pychotropic drug is probably involved.
Jason Jeon

September 19th, 2007 at 7:14 pm

Basically I think it means…

Ooma may look simple, but if you knew all the CRAZY things it could do, you’d want to play with it.

OR it could mean…

Don’t let your kids eat mushrooms growing in the neighborhood park.
Cooper Mor

September 19th, 2007 at 7:15 pm

The ad effectively drives home the positive effects hallucinogens have on the developing minds of 8-12 year olds.
Raj

September 19th, 2007 at 7:16 pm

It refers to not being allowed to play with the cool kids but paving your own path anyway
Sarah Davies

September 19th, 2007 at 7:20 pm

Here goes…

So the boy is the traditional telecom industry. When he started creating things out of thin air, there was a hot air balloon that flew away - that was Ooma. As the telecom industry continued to create things it surrounded itself in smoke (ie opaque and shady business practices), hurting the boy and the flowers of the earth. When the boy came out of the clouds enough to see all the other kids (who represent today’s consumers), the kids were all clambering to play with him, just as customers have rushed toward the traditional telecom industry.

I’m sure in the later videos the other kids will see that the telecom industry is all smoke and mirrors with a bad bowl cut and they’ll fly away in their wonderful Ooma balloon.

The end.
Tony

September 19th, 2007 at 7:20 pm

I thnk the first part is about Ooma wanting to get in the voip game with the other players (other voip companies) not letting him join in. They say no so he goes ahead and starts his own the way he thinks it should be which is completely different, and better, than theirs.
evanmcd

September 19th, 2007 at 7:21 pm

That ad, in a word (yeah, a made up word): gadgetlust.

“Ooh, ooh… I want what he’s got”.

It worked for me (’course I admit I wanted one before I saw the ad).
Florian

September 19th, 2007 at 7:22 pm

That was an attempt to hypnotize you into giving me one of those Oohmamas. Did it work?
Mayur

September 19th, 2007 at 7:22 pm

The ad is not supposed to have any meaning (or even if it did, that’s not its intended purpose). The goal is to start a conversation (OOMA = phone = conversation, if you didn’t get the pun). Soon you will have 300 comments here trying to make sense of the commercial (add 30 other blogs linking to it making it reach to the top of techmeme). Some comments will be sensical, some cynical, doesn’t matter - the goal to start the conversation will have been achieved.

The above explaination is in the ad itself - the kid uses imagination to start the conversation with the kids in the playground.
Randy

September 19th, 2007 at 7:23 pm

I think it means “you’re about to be punk’d”.
Robert

September 19th, 2007 at 7:23 pm

“Magic in a Box”
Everyone wants to be the kids’ friend after his zen-like magical display. Everyone wants to be “friends” with those with magic powers whether a box or a person.
Ashok

September 19th, 2007 at 7:23 pm

I think more than anything, the idea behind the video was to leave it’s meaning open to interpretation, enhancing the viral nature of the video. It’s inherently designed to generate these kinds of discussions. That may be giving Ashton more credit than he deserves, but it could be the underlying goal.

If you really want to try and figure out some of the symbolism, I think a few of your readers have hit it on the head, with the Ooma opening up possibilities and potential that would otherwise not be seen directly. With it’s simple, yet brilliant design, it’s not apparent how effective the Ooma is and how it enhances productivity (or so the company would like us to think). With the kid being told to go away (the equivalent of us walking by a similar phone in Best Buy or something), the other kids fail to see his potential. And once they do, everyone wants to take part.
Jogi

September 19th, 2007 at 7:25 pm

It is apparently “magic in the box”! A new era of telephony. The spot drives the idea that there is/will be a simple solution that can do more than you can imagine.
James Brady

September 19th, 2007 at 7:25 pm

personally, i think the two bullies were a reference to the big VoIP companies, and larger telephone companies, the playground was a metaphor for thinking inside the box, as it had clearcut wooden boundaries and its where everyone else was playing.

the other kids were more representative of businesses and people, basically the potential customers of the aforementioned larger companies. The kid leaving, was a metaphor for thinking outside the box, you’ll also notice the field was shown to be far more expansive and open, open being the operative factor.

the flowers and hot air balloon were representative of superior features over the iPhone. the clouds were probably representative of The Cloud, aka the Internet, which is how this thing works. The smoke, and the swiftness at which it disappeared might have something to do with the smoke thats covering the customers of larger company’s eyes, or it could have been a reference to the smoke that was surrounding this device, i dont know, those are just my thoughts.
Jared

September 19th, 2007 at 7:26 pm

Drud induced? My view of the world is like that every day! But the commercial is so damn true, kids may hate on other kids until they see what they have then they want to play. Nice commercial
LOUIS

September 19th, 2007 at 7:28 pm

I believe it means that “anyone” cool or not cool will want to use this phone device.
Zachary Burt

September 19th, 2007 at 7:33 pm

Arthur C. Clarke said “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Ooma - killer technology. Woooooo. Beautiful art is caused by pain, isolation and rejection; the bullies represent Ma Bell, and our hero is Ooma. Oh, and the daisies clearly represent “Daisy Bell”, a song composed by Harry Dacre in 1892. If you notice, “Harry Dacre in 1892″ has ten syllables when you pronounce it aloud. Just like the ten Oomas being given away.
Paul

September 19th, 2007 at 7:34 pm

The video simply means “this is the stuff you can create when you’re high and in hollywood.”
Royal

September 19th, 2007 at 7:35 pm

Video:

Ooma = down the rabbit’s hole (a.k.a. all that and a bag’o chips.) = web 3.0 paradigm shift.

Did you want me to include my address now?

R.
Rob La Gesse

September 19th, 2007 at 7:37 pm

The kid was shunned by others, and constructed a “walled garden” to protect himself from the pain of rejection. Only after he lifted the wall was he able to expand his network - and invite friends in to play.

Rob
lindsey

September 19th, 2007 at 7:38 pm

i think it means that Ashton is taking some serious drugs. ones that can make a man marry a cyborg like Demi Moore or produce this type of incoherent video. i have seen better ads on the QVC channel.

i bet he is sharing the a drug dealer with Britney.
Jaafer Haidar

September 19th, 2007 at 7:39 pm

It means that if you having an Ooma makes you a superhero!

The kid sits alone and then realizes his power. He’s surprised by it, then welcomes it. Then when the kids that rejected him come to admire him, he realizes his power.

Just like the humble beginnings of every superhero. He now has the power but needs to learn to harness it for good. Get and Ooma, be a superhero!

Thanks,
Jaafer
Wiru

September 19th, 2007 at 7:41 pm

It means the potheads in Pitzer are actually cooler than the preppies in CMC.
Adam Hyman

September 19th, 2007 at 7:41 pm

Although it first appears that the big kids are having so much fun (the big phone companies), if you’ve got something to offer (the kid, which represents ooma), they’ll want to deal with you.

I think in the next episode, he’ll let them play, but they’ll now play by his rules.
Alex

September 19th, 2007 at 7:43 pm

It means people will be disappointed when they realize that instead of enabling them to conjure up clouds, sunflowers and balloons at will, Ooma is, in fact, just a VoIP solution.
ch

September 19th, 2007 at 7:44 pm

the companies creative director?

argh.

do we need to review possessive forms?
Jaafer Haidar

September 19th, 2007 at 7:44 pm

Reposted without the ‘lack of sleep’ grammar mistakes …

It means that having an Ooma makes you a superhero!

The kid sits alone and then realizes his power. He’s surprised by it, then welcomes it. When the kids that rejected him come to admire him, he realizes his power.

Just like the humble beginnings of every superhero. He now has the power but needs to learn to harness it for good. Get an Ooma, be a superhero!

Thanks,
Jaafer
Wes

September 19th, 2007 at 7:45 pm

I think the video is a shout out from Ashton, to Ashton (as he’s obviously conceited), for some of the achievements he has made in life thus far. To start, I think the flowers, clouds, smoke and “Trippy” music are a nod to that 70’s show was he was doing. For the life of me, I can’t remember the show’s name, but I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about. Following that, the boy entices the “cool kids” to come see what he is doing and when they get there, he just stops and throws up a little grin that suggests, “HA, I made you look!” To me, this is an obvious reference to that show where he pulls punk pranks on people. There again, I don’t recall the name.

Continuing on, you should note the nature of what has actually transpired. A seemingly small and innocent act of asking to play has caused the boy to face rejection. He then walks away defeated and takes a sit in a nearby field. The trauma inspires him to create his own entertainment and he uses the surrounding environment and atmosphere to create the aforementioned flowers, clouds, and smoke. To me, this is a visualization of The Butterfly Effect. Now while I have not seen the move, I know Ashton played a role in a movie that dealt with this phenomenon, and had a similar sounding title….. man what was that??

Finally you come to the nature of activities. He asks to “PLAY”, only to be turned down by his peers. He then opts to take on a more adult role of a creator of life in his own personal world. His fascination with this suggests that is it more much for fun to “DO” older things, which of course, is a reference to Demi Moore.

To me, the boy represents Ashton is a sort of homage to his life as a child. He wasn’t the cool kid, but look what he can do now. Make a viral video that makes absolutely no sense and everyone thinks is the coolest thing since….. well the last viral video. Dramatic Chimpunk anyone?

All that……. Or……. It’s just a play on the theme that you don’t have to join the phone network crowd any more. Switch to VOIP and you literally open up a “World” of possibilities. Oh, and those other guys will want what you have.
Rob La Gesse

September 19th, 2007 at 7:45 pm

#34 - But Adam - if the kid is now setting the rules, doesn’t he just become another “big phone company?”.

Rob
JeremyF

September 19th, 2007 at 7:47 pm

Ooma will save you so much money that you will be able to support the whole neighborhood’s drug addiction.
Andrew

September 19th, 2007 at 7:47 pm

it means that when you have millions in venture capital, you can waste money on “WTF does that mean” commercial, that doesn’t even have a link to your website
Jaisen

September 19th, 2007 at 7:48 pm

I think it means that if you release a commercial that’s so incoherent it almost begins to make sense again.
fa

September 19th, 2007 at 7:49 pm

It means they are master Marketeers and this video will fly across the http://WWW. Heck, it even got you to post it, Michael!

{wonder if the service is as good as their marketing skills}
steve ballmer

September 19th, 2007 at 7:49 pm

Hey, using the term “drug induced” implies their is something cool about DI!
You guys need to stop this, you say we should be open minded and understanding, we are not!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
Josh

September 19th, 2007 at 7:50 pm

Little Ooma at first wasn’t allowed to play in the “big kid” world. So, he created his own world. Now after seeing what Ooma can do, the big kids want to play with him.
fewquid

September 19th, 2007 at 7:54 pm

I think it means: “we raised a lot of VC money”

But I still like the product…
Scott

September 19th, 2007 at 7:54 pm

What does it mean? Who cares. That kid has some sweet powers… remember, there is no spoon.
Brad

September 19th, 2007 at 7:55 pm

I think it is clear that the answer to what the video means is “42″
Josh Catone

September 19th, 2007 at 7:56 pm

Have you seen That 70’s Show? It means Ashton Kutcher smokes a lot of pot… duh.

Seriously, though, with Kutcher’s film industry connections, that was the best camera operator they could get, bouncing his shadow on the kid during every close up…?
Butterfly Effect

September 19th, 2007 at 7:58 pm

Remember the movie - “The Butterfly Effect” (2004), well Ashton just had another memory blackout. Listen to the sound effects…just like in the original movie. That’s what your seeing a trailer to the sequel.
You see he’s got magic in the box…
Firth

September 19th, 2007 at 8:00 pm

It simply means life is not always daisies and balloons. Sometimes it’s smoke and mirrors. When you look at Ooma, you have no idea what it is doing inside, but it’s doing it well so you don’t have to care about what’s inside. And when you stop caring about … wait a minute … No, I’m pretty sure this was just a mistake. They ACTUALLY were going to release a professional commercial, but at the last minute someone decided to punk Ooma and switched it out for their second graders latest project. Ooma, you got punk’d … in a big way.
RBA

September 19th, 2007 at 8:03 pm

The kid is The Great Ooma. The two kids that tell him to take a hike are Michael Arrington an Duncan Riley.

Basically the kid wanted a post in TechCrunch but Mike didn’t give a damn, because he thinks the kid’s just doing another Digg clone. So the kid says what the hell, I don’t need them. I can do cool stuff and get all the attention I need by myself.

So after he gives a little show of all the things he can do, Mike an Duncan want to be best friends with him and agree to write a post about a weird video to get the viral thing going.

Next episode will be even cooler, though.
Jordan Weiner

September 19th, 2007 at 8:04 pm

The little boy who is turned down in the beginning represents an Ooma user, and the other kids represent the regular phone company users. Once they see how great the little boy is playing, they want to play with him as well. Basically, once they see how great Ooma is, they want to use it too. Bam.
gVeloper

September 19th, 2007 at 8:05 pm

ooma: entertain yourself

coherency module is optional.
Word Hugger

September 19th, 2007 at 8:06 pm

What I think the video means/is about:

The less information you tell people online, the more they want to know! It grabs attention, makes you visit their site, generates buzz for their product, and keeps you coming back to see if they added a new video explaining everything.

Link bait at its best.
Josh

September 19th, 2007 at 8:07 pm

I think the kid is supposed to be Andrew who after dealing with major companies decided to strike out on his own into a lonely world where suddenly magical sunflowers grow (ooma p2p centers). Once grown they produce an elevated state (where the drug induced comes in) represented by the fumes where people can converse without ever having to worry about a telephone bill again. Something along those lines.
adam

September 19th, 2007 at 8:08 pm

The boy (Ooma) wants to play with his peers (all other telco’s). They deny. Which symbolizes Ooma’s fight to get its project to light of day. Approaching everyone to share their idea only to be shut down. Frustrated they decide to do it themselves. A Zen like experience has given birth to the simplists of ideas that is going to have all the other telco’s clammering to grab a piece of the pie. The boy sitting in the grass showed us a glimpse of the future, Ooma’s as well as what this series will bring.
Cruz Bustamante

September 19th, 2007 at 8:09 pm

Ashton smokin that Cruz Bustamante
Matt

September 19th, 2007 at 8:10 pm

the two Kids represent Verizion and AT&T and then the Kid being told he cant play creates a p2p network in his mind (didn’t you know all p2p networks visaualise like that ) and then everyone else that wants free phone calls join in as long as they have $400 to spare .
Ray

September 19th, 2007 at 8:13 pm

I think it means:
ooma is the magic box, just like the boy, it provides a significant surprising beautiful new world of life.
PSK

September 19th, 2007 at 8:14 pm

The lonely kid = Ooma
All the other kids = Ma Bell, Verizon Voicewing, Vonage, and all the other corporate fone companies who who have been playing in the same old playground since the first telegraph lines went up.

The lonely kid leaves the playground for greener pastures where he is free to imagine a new system, and create a fone service that doesn’t depend on acceptance, or guidelines, set up long ago by the other kids… Once the new reality is achieved, all the other kids come knocking on Ooma’s door. When the scene fades to black it is quite obvious that the lonely kid isn’t gonna share this new ball.
Love,

PSK
Greg Furry

September 19th, 2007 at 8:15 pm

Can’t you see it in the smoke? Look carefully, it says give Greg and Ooma. Kind of like if you build it they will come. Instead, If you give it Greg will call.
Heretic

September 19th, 2007 at 8:16 pm

Wow, $400-600 for a VoIP gateway plus they suggest adding a Scout device? I agree, drugs are definitely involved.

I’ll tell you what the video means. It’s arrogance. Big telcos won’t let them play on their last mile so they think they can go off on their own and reinvent the telephone. Maybe they’ll pull it off, and I wouldn’t mind if they do, but it’s been tried so many times already and only a handful of companies have made any headway. Plus, aren’t the early adopters, the ones who are supposed to be virally transmitting this video, mostly dropping their land-lines in favor of mobile technologies? Maybe they think these folks will buy up their product to replace the phone they just got rid of. Or maybe early adopters are simply smart folks who’ll jump at the chance to spend $400-600 on free phone calls.

They might be able to avoid the telcos, but their next major obstacle will be the ISPs. My ISP already offers VoIP and I’m sure they would gleefully filter out everyone else’s VoIP services if they thought they could get away with it.
Zoli Erdos

September 19th, 2007 at 8:16 pm

I “won” a free unit through GigaOM the very first day - still waiting for shipment. Actually, not waiting anymore, gave up
Alex

September 19th, 2007 at 8:16 pm

Means that the acid is as good as ever in Palo Alto.
andrew

September 19th, 2007 at 8:21 pm

The video means:

Put the power in your own hands and your peers will soon follow because they want to be able to do what you can do.
gVeloper

September 19th, 2007 at 8:22 pm

“I reject your reality and substitute my own”
Jason

September 19th, 2007 at 8:26 pm

My take is that the video is about the attraction that we all feel to something that is unique, something that changes what we believe is possible. Oh, and 42.
Ben

September 19th, 2007 at 8:35 pm

This video means that you really have to befriend the enemy immediately. Despite the nature of relationship that it involves into. If you adapt to the frenemy and realize that you’ve enjoyed his company and sportsmanship then you will be set already. If you feel he is a danger to your cool and must be taken out - you have already befriended him and infiltrated his conscience - that makes it all the more easy to lay him to rest or make him your own.

Befriend the enemy.
Michael

September 19th, 2007 at 8:35 pm

I think the video is showing a kid that comes up with a new way to play, the old rules and old equipment are boring and not nice. Ooma has come up with a new way to phone, the old equipment and old rules are not nice.
Hugh

September 19th, 2007 at 8:36 pm

I think Fake Steve would say “siooma”, Ashton
Jeff

September 19th, 2007 at 8:36 pm

The boy is the Ooma phone system that won’t work (can’t play) with the bell spinoffs (the other boys), so Ooma (he) creates its (his) own miraculous and beautiful world (VOIP). When others see how beautiful it is, they want to play in that world too.

The cloud is the company Ooma, which provides the rain so the flowers can grow, or in this case, the infrastructure for the conversations to grow. The flowers (nourished by the rain) are the customers that sprout up all over the world. The smoke/vapor is their conversation, spreading among the flowers.

The balloon is like Ooma’s product: beautiful and light and effortless . . . nothing heavy or bulky or bloated here.
Shan

September 19th, 2007 at 8:37 pm

nutshell: omg ooma pwns fr rlz, rofl vonage suxorz, kthxbai
mark

September 19th, 2007 at 8:40 pm

Meaning of Mr. Kutcher’s video: I wish I was older and was able to be in that movie that my wife Demi was in, Ghosts. So instead I created this cool video that will appeal to her kids (I’m still trying to get on their good side), and include these “Ghosts”-like creatures and music to appeal to Demi’s younger years.
Tim

September 19th, 2007 at 8:40 pm

It means they gave Ashton Kutcher the smallest advertising budget in history and he spent most of it on the acid he was trippin on when he came up with the idea for the “viral” video
Rick

September 19th, 2007 at 8:40 pm

1. You do not talk about HALLUCINATION CLUB.
2. You DO NOT talk about HALLUCINATION CLUB.
3. If this is your first day at HALLUCINATION CLUB, you have to HALLUCINATE.
Adam

September 19th, 2007 at 8:41 pm

What ooma is saying to consumers:

When you’re a kid, the most fun games to play are the ones you make up in your head. It’s good to get away from the pack and try something new. Nobody is setting the rules for you. You and your imaginary creations can have a tea-party and both of the world of the mind and the body interact seamlessly.

With ooma, you get a VOIP product that is so natural and easy to use. It’s different than everything else out on the market. There aren’t any lingering rules for you to abide by, no contracts or future hassles. ooma is a product meant to seamlessly integrate the dreamy features of VOIP with the conventional world of hard-wired telephones. Now you can use your regular phone yet harness the power of VOIP.

Just like the games you make up when you are a kid, ooma is going to satisfy you. Suddenly, having VOIP at home won’t be scary and odd. Instead, it will be desirable. Your peers will want to join you in your telecommunications field of dreams.

What ooma is saying to investors:

If you build it… they will come.
Chris

September 19th, 2007 at 8:41 pm

Apparently a pro-smoking ad put forth by Ooma’s parent company, Altria.
Morgan Warstler

September 19th, 2007 at 8:41 pm

Ah-hem.

The commercial isn’t about the telco’s vs. OOMA - that wouldn’t be a consumer appeal. Techcrunch comment types can kinda be forgiven for missing this, but a VIRAL video means regular consumers will see something in it. Because the totality of start up geeks needed to know about OOMA was achieved when TC/Gizmodo/Etc. mentioned them months ago.

The lonely snubbed kid is the consumer. OOMA is so cool everyone else who knows you will want one. What you can do with it is more than make phone calls - be imaginitive. Having a OOMA will make you more creative, it will expand your horizons. Others will want to have one too. “Can we play?”
Clayton Roche

September 19th, 2007 at 8:44 pm

“ooma” is a subliminal indicator symbol for Obama. Our conscious brains see ooma, but our subconscious, unable to handle another tech startup name that sounds like candy, files it away under presidential candidates–the natural place to store ambiguous information.

This much is clear. What I need to know now is, will Ashton be VP?
Mark

September 19th, 2007 at 8:44 pm

It’s a visual parody of voip wanting to play in the communications game but the locals who own the playground (AT&T etc) wont let voip play so voip tells them to blow and plays by himself with new technology and a new approach that the local bully’s now want a piece of.
Tim

September 19th, 2007 at 8:46 pm

The video mixes two basic story lines.

First, there’s the little outsider beating the big mean guys. Think David and Goliath, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and a long list of other books, movies and myth.

Second, there’s the message that you can do anything if you just use your imagination. Think Barney on one hand and Field of Dreams on the other.

And it uses those two story lines to make you identify with ooma as the little kid pitted against the big mean telecom companies, the in group that won’t let you in, etc., etc.

And all in a short little video. The smoke ring near the kid’s lips in the closeup right after he springs the magic is a nice touch…
Ryan

September 19th, 2007 at 8:47 pm

Little Stevie J. wanted to play with Tim O’Bell and Vic Rhizon, but they wouldn’t let him. So he grabbed a yoga mat and started meditating in the park. Somewhere, mid-lotus, it hit him… he’s better off without them and one day they’ll regret it. He imagined wonderful new toys and quickly breathed them to life. Some were never meant for all to see, so up they went in smoke! (But somehow the word got out… the word always gets out.)

Ultimately the prize of his imagination floats above it all: his beloved iCreation. Now all the kids are interested, but little Stevie plays coy and will decide who to play with when he’s good and ready.

He even meets up with Enbe C. and his brother Abee for a little while. Enbe throws a tantrum and Abee and Stevie leave him to go hang out with Walt. In future episodes he makes them all sing and dance, before picking Adien T. for his playmate. The series ends when we find out that Adien was punk’d all long… Little Stevie left the door open for everyone to play.
Roman

September 19th, 2007 at 8:48 pm

I think the kid is “ooma,” a magical god that when you see his capabilities you say “ooma-igod.”

Anyway, the AD is trying to say that even if you’re a huge loser, ooma is so cool that if you get it before everyone else, everyone will want to play with you. It’s inciting you to be the first/only one to have it so you can control the magic.
lawrence

September 19th, 2007 at 8:51 pm

that’s just one stupid marketing video.

that “magic” kid looks like he’s really savoring the smell of his own fart.

if i win an ooma, i’ll sell it on ebay - and use the proceeds to bet it all in a single hand of blackjack.
Joshua Starr

September 19th, 2007 at 8:52 pm

What this video proves, is that ultimately, there is no spoon. The kid went down the rabbit hole in his mind, and the other children represent human batteries. The Ooma device is powered by the in-line connection of young children that are being used as batteries. In an alternate dimension.

Why was this so hard to understand?!

Also, I have to have one. Please. From one battery to another.
anantara

September 19th, 2007 at 8:52 pm

Simple chain of creative thought.

I will create a playground that will make you want to abandon your own. Do you see that your playground is anyway becoming irrelevant. The audiences are discovering the new playground - there is no escaping that.

In few years from now. There will only be one playground. The one I discovered and helped create. And yes, don’t say you were not warned.
CanUSee

September 19th, 2007 at 8:52 pm

when the big boys rule the playground (a desert with a few big toys), look for greener pastures, get creative (thought cloud), grow your own (network/sunflowers), and smoke the competition with far-out (virtual) ‘toys’. Then everybody wants to play in your space and the big boys ask to ‘play’ (buy you out). [very nice symbolism… the boy sits (on-line) with a payphone in the background. Also, the blowing smoke in the form of a mobile mic, in front of the boy’s mouth, is a nice touch. The vid effects, boy perspective reminded me of the “… things fall apart” vid I have on http://www.GalleryGuide.TV
Mickey

September 19th, 2007 at 8:54 pm

NBC wants to play nice with Apple again.
Simon Griffiths

September 19th, 2007 at 8:56 pm

Great video, but it’s an ad. I am not sure that this has the necessary to go viral. Why would you bother forwarding it on? It is neither funny nor particularly stimulating, in short a fairly average ad.

Shame really!
Trevor

September 19th, 2007 at 8:57 pm

I think it’s clear that Ashton Kutcher gave the production crew a single piece of inside information and told them to run with it: “To be honest, Ooma is just an acronym for Out of My A**. Make sure this promotion reflects that.”
Jay

September 19th, 2007 at 8:58 pm

no meaning… but a talking point… as is evident by all the previous comments. That’s what the ad is about
Roy

September 19th, 2007 at 9:00 pm

you may be a geeky outcast now, but when you have cool toys like magic in a box, everyone will want to be your friend.

Either that, or they were reading Mao’s “let a thousand flowers bloom” quote [yeah, I know he's misquoted and actually said "a hundred"], and since they feel they’re putting out new ideas in the telephony space they’d make a visual metaphor, knowing they wouldn’t get executed like the poor folks who took Mao’s invitation to criticize the new political system seriously and responded to his request.
Andrew

September 19th, 2007 at 9:01 pm

The boy is Andrew Frame. Early on he went to a bunch of VC’s (older kids) with his prototype and they said sorry Andrew we are going to pass. They didn’t get it. Andrew said the hell with them. Months later and magically, Andrew got the device working and poof all the VC wanted to play.

Another angle: at first nobody wants to switch from current telco then consumers see how cool different is and want to come play.
Damon

September 19th, 2007 at 9:03 pm

I say it’s a stab at the childish nature of telco’s and their reluctance to accept new ideas. They’ll soon see how “cool” the magic box really is and want to join in. In other words, current telcos are too cool for school and they’re missing the boat because of their arrogance.

I still wouldn’t know what Ooma is from the video. It brings me back to some super bowl commercials in the late 90’s. Ah…those were the days.
Richard

September 19th, 2007 at 9:08 pm

it MEANS that the cool kids in school are ALWAYS the one’s carrying. at least that’s what it meant at my school
Kenneth Criscione

September 19th, 2007 at 9:09 pm

This is a very interesting Commercial. This a story of the new technology VOIP and the old conventional land line phone technology told in a formate of children on the play ground. The VOIP asked to play with LAND LINES while looking up as in the landline is the superior body and the landlines said no while looking down on voip. The something wonderful happened. VOIP created a new virual way of laying on the play ground (communicating) and all the landlines wanted to be a part and join VOIP and VOIP just smirked with joy mabe a little rye look that is. But you know that VOIP the shy little boy has the better game and we all know that VOIP will not let the landlines play at that game…….Well thought up!
Josh

September 19th, 2007 at 9:12 pm

Now we know how (why?) high school gunmen are created.
hornbeck

September 19th, 2007 at 9:14 pm

I think that the video is just an attempt to draw attention to a product that a lot of people may not understand. With a video like this, the user has no real clue what Ooma is, yet they may be intrigued enough to look further. Their first video on their site is not that exciting but is semi informative, this video contains no information yet leaves you wondering what the hell is going on.

John Hornbeck
Steve Weiss

September 19th, 2007 at 9:14 pm

I think it just means Ashton finally learned to use Adobe Premiere and After Effects.
Campbell

September 19th, 2007 at 9:15 pm

Yep kids that have “Magic” smoke on em are the ones everyone wants to be around
Justin

September 19th, 2007 at 9:15 pm

To turn the conventional theme here on its ear…

(Turning something on its ear? Who came up with that bizarre phrase, anyway? Hmm. Probably the same person who directed this video.)

Despite the super-sweet b