Who could forget that glorious 3-month period in 2006 when Justin Timberlake brought sexy back? The iPod was the killer product, Blu-ray was in a format war with HD DVD and Sony Bravias were widely considered the best LCD TV on the market.
It’s no surprise to UnderCurrent then that Sony is intent on recapturing the spirit of the mid-2000s with its new campaign for waterproof Walkmans called, and UnderCurrent is being serious here, ‘Bringing Synchro Back’.
The idea is simple enough: Sony has kitted out the Australian Synchronised Swimming Team with its new range of submersible, chlorine-friendly MP3 players, so squad members Bianca Hammett and Deborah Tsai could record this gratuitous video:
As bizarre as UnderCurrent views this campaign — a tad objectifying and based off an 8-year-old pop song, for starters — it still can’t help but praise Sony for at least doing some marketing for MP3 players.
“The Walkman W series was created for people who love listening to music while staying fit, whether they’re working out on land or in the pool,” said Sony ANZ head of video and sound Abel Makhraz. “Giving Australian synchronised swimmers a music track to play with and seeing what inspired them seemed like a perfect way to support the sport and demonstrate what the Walkman can really do.”
And here’s Bianco Hammett happily hitting the right brand messages:
“Synchronised swimmers are often associated with loud costumes and makeup, so it was nice to portray a different look and have fun with some contemporary dance moves,” she said. “Sony’s waterproof Walkman is great for training since we can listen to music and practice anywhere – you don’t need to be in a special pool with underwater speakers, and there are no wires to get tangled in.”
