No more 'Quietly Brilliant' as HTC hires Iron Man to give the company new meaning

Downey Jnr

Downey Jnr on board a Humungous Tinfoil Catamaran




Remember that Vine teaser HTC posted last week, during which the company promised promised 'Big Things Ahead' while a mystery man emerged from a helicopter?


Well, it turns out the fellow stepping out of the chopper was, as rumoured, Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jnr, who appears to have signed on as a brand ambassador for the Taiwanese smartphone company


In the full, two-minute commercial, revealed on Wednesday, the Hollywood megastar tells HTC board members that the company's acronym now stands for 'whatever you want it to mean'


The light-hearted commercial seems to suggest a change in attitude from HTC, which has struggled to connect with the public despite some impressive smartphone launches in recent years.


Whereas Samsung had its Next Big Thing Apple-bating campaign, HTC has had very little in terms of viral marketing beyond its 'Quietly Brilliant' slogan, which was the very antithesis of this new loud and proud strategy.


The arrival of the affable Downey Jnr seems to suggest we'll be seeing a more care-free, personable demeanor from HTC, and the arrival of a more 'Happy Telephone Company' as the commercial puts it.


The spot also sees HTC visualised as a Humungous Tinfoil Catamaran and a Hipster Troll Carwash, which ties into the launch of a HTC Generator website, which generates random words to flesh out the acronym (Heavenly Teenage Carnivore, anyone?)


Can HTC's 'Here's to Change' attitude and the doubtless help the smartphone-loving public to see the personality between HTC's 'Quietly Brilliant' hardware and software innovations.


You can see the moderately entertaining commercial in the video below.


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Via CNET