Beck's Launches Blog. Does Everything Wrong
Beck's has launched a blog, Different by Choice. Yawn, right? But the way they've announced it and the way it's formatted is so annoying, it can't be left alone.
In an email beginning with "Hello Important Marketing Blog People," Beck's blogger Darius asks, "has anyone told you recently how hot you are?" and then goes on to explain how he "destroyed" 850 other potential bloggers vying for the job "'cos that is the way I roll." Ugh. Cue the Agency.com Subway video.
And then with an ego akin to Sean John believing anyone remotely takes him seriously, Darius prattles on, "This is a novel and let's face it a brave choice by Beck's to give me a platform to extol my views and ideals on their global website whilst writing on all that I deem to be 'Different by Choice.' Beck's legal department are bracing themselves for the impending months."
Ooo. Bogger VS. Lawyer! Hey Darius, that one was played out in 2002.
And if all this weren't enough to make you want to gag yourself with I AM KING, the entire blog site is in Flash. Yes, a blog in Flash, the worst platform to create anything which requires even the tiniest bit of navigation. Want to use your mouse's scroll wheel to fly through some text? Not gonna happen. Want to right click to navigate back? Nope. Want to grab a portion of an image so write something and link back (not that you'd ever want to with this particular blog)? You'll have to settle for Print Screen. And speaking of linking, want to link to a particular area of the site? Not so easily done.
And the most annoying aspect of the site? In order to gain access, you must jump through the age verification hoop. Oh sure, there's a box to check which, one assumes, will cookie your computer so you don't have to jump through the hoop when you come back. Alas, coming up with a reason to return to this blog is a head scratcher.
Thankfully, the designers couldn't Flashturbate the RSS feed which remains simple point and click. It's the only way you'll want to read the site. Though, not even low tech RSS will completely shield you from the horrors of this site. The feed is partial so if you really want to read a post, you'll have to click through to the site's infuriating Flashiness.
Comments
they did a nice job (not) on SEO. link?
You can actually use the scroll wheel in flash
Not my scroll wheel. Pretty standard: Logitech two button mouse with wheel.
You've gotta give it to them for at least trying something different.
The Flash is indeed annoying, but presentation aside, I actually quite like the articles, the guy isn't a puppet of Beck's, he has his own thoughts and opinions - usually they are very funny...
I think it would be WAY better to have a seperate 'real' blog away from the Becks Flash site - after all it has an RSS feed.
After reading this post I checked out Becks.com and yeah the flash is annoying but it's not as bad as you make out. I don't know but maybe because I am in the target audience but I think the writing on the site is witty and insightful. Seems to me that you will like this style of writing if you understand sarcasm and irony oh any also if you have a sense of humour. Steve you apparently do not, it seems clear to anyone reading your post that the email they sent you was tongue in cheek and a bit different to get you to review the site. You need to come down of your high horse and have some fun, if not you should check out something that is more interesting to forty something like yourself.
I just wrote a long post which your non-flash site has deleted which is ironic considering your bitch ing. I checked out the becks page because I really wanted to see a car crash and man have you painted a misleading picture. Yeah the flash is annoying but it's not that bad-what are you geeks? Someone is trying to make a joke about an SEQ link?!? What kind of loser makes a joke about an SEQ link?
You also slated the writers of the site yet you never even reviewed or commented on any of their writing but rather on an email that they sent you-which from what you told us any moron can see is tongue in cheek and was used to get your attention. I found the site entertaining, it's not the BBC but if I am bored at work I might check it out for a couple of minutes a day. I also looked at your profile and immediately from your pic it is obvious you are not the target audience, they are looking to engage single twenty something guys not the over 40's who seem to be unable to understand irony and sarcasm. It might also help if you had a sense of humour. I am going to read all your posts with a pinch of salt from now on because it seems you can not be trusted to give an honest review.
Chris,
Are you the same guy that's writing comments on my Becks post using a Yahoo.co.uk account but on EuroRSCG servers...? http://bit.ly/14Lfa
I must confess that I went to the blog because of the bad reviews. And unlike most blogs I actually found this one interesting and different. Why do all blogs have to be the same format? They don't. I don't like Beck's beer very much but I may still go back and read the blog from time to time. Hey, I like flash, call me crazy.