Thursday, November 18, 2010

Smart - Extraordinary made simple




Got this as a free giveaway shirt.
Yet another shirt from an educational conference, this one in particular from the C.U.E. (Computer Using Educators) conference. It's a promo item for Smart, a company that makes interactive smartboards.
http://smarttech.com/us
White text on a colored shirt seems to be the standard for these companies. This type of giveaway item is just above the black on white freebies that cost pennies to make and look super cheap. It sets itself apart by not being a black shirt, like all my others, but immediately loses points for being an x-large.
On the front it says "Smart," the brand of their company. Smart is just screened on the front and their tag line "Extraordinary made simple" is screened on the back. Both the front and the back have very small screen area but at least the ink has lasted this long without getting too cracked or worn. It's a nice idea but I don't think there are many who know what smartboards are let alone know their logo. So by just looking at the shirt it's a standard cliche.
Even though it's kind if lame, I like it because it is slightly sarcastic and cheesy. Clever though, because anyone who wears it becomes "smart" or at least that's the idea. There is no shortage of "diva" or "spoiled rotten" or whatever other flavor-of-the-month is rolling through. An idea like this can be simple and stand out from the crowd. Maybe it even works on a subliminal level, giving you a perceived aura of intelligence, like a pair of glasses might.

I did have some fun getting this shirt. The guys who work these booths are usually not from the company they represent but are from trade show staffing agencies. They are really good at working with people and making sales; this makes them prime targets for trolling. I went up to their booth and started drawing on their smartboards. Doing quick designs and generic art, while asking about the specs and stuff. It is surprisingly difficult on their devices since they have proprietary software. So I started asking if this could be used as an art tool. Normally, in a situation like this you have to be responsive and positive because you never know who you're talking to. They were quick to jump in and offer solutions, "It would be a useful art class tool, or a graphic aid!" At that point I was giving feedback and product advice while a small crowd was forming, "It should act like a Wacom tablet with pressure sensitivity! And be compatible with the Adobe Creative Suite!" I proclaimed. They wanted to retort, but by this time I was talking trash on their products. People soon realized the incredibly narrow tool-set this had and the non-practicality of a smartboard.  Anyway, I got a free shirt after all of that. It was fun turning the tables -for once- on people who normally pester you in the vendor hall.

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