Blind test ads from HTC show consumers picking the HTC One M9 over the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6

HTC has been blasted for its weak marketing in the U.S. The manufacturer even spent $12 million a couple of years ago to secure the talents of Robert Downey Jr, but that was clearly money wasted. The ads produced for the HTC One (M8) starring Gary Oldman did nothing to drive sales of the device, unless you think that "blah, blah, blah" perfectly conveys what the One (M8) was all about.

For a new series of commercials, HTC did a series of blind tests with consumers. The phones competing against each other were disguised so that those testing the phones wouldn't know the actual models involved. As it turns out, each ad actually pitted the HTC One M9 against the Apple iPhone 6  and the Samsung Galaxy S6. One test timed how long it took users to navigate the phone in their hand by having them open and close a series of apps. Another test involved listening to music from the two disguised handsets, and deciding which one sounded the best. And yet another test compared the quality of selfies taken in low-light conditions.

Well, you don't have to be a genius to figure out which tests were shown in the long promotional videos and the 30 seconds commercials that they spawned. The HTC One M9 was selected each and every time. The actual tests were conducted as follows. The Speed test pitted the HTC One M9 vs. the Samsung Galaxy S6. The sound test and the selfie tests both put the HTC One M9 up against the iPhone 6

Kudos to HTC. These might be the best ads that they have produced in a long time because they focus on what the HTC One M9 can do. And here's a parting note to the HTC Americas gang led by Jason Mackenzie. You guys finally made a series of commercials that might help sell your phone, and you didn't have to spend $12 million on a spokesman. 

One piece of advice for HTC. You might want to try to disguise the phones a little better next time. Most PhoneArena readers would have known which model was the HTC One M9 just by looking at the cutout for the front-facing camera.


source: HTC (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) via AndroidCentral