Simply Broadcast

Palm organizers, the mother of handheld electronic gadgets, ventured into television last week with its first commercials, airing in spot markets around the country.
The two TV ads from Foote, Cone & Belding, San Francisco, attempt to continue the stylish and elegant tone of Palm’s print and outdoor work with the tag: “Simply Palm.” Backed by about $10 million for the holiday season, the TV work acknowledges what the marketplace already knows: Palm organizers, retailing from $179, are a consumer- rather than tech-oriented product.
In a spot slated to run in the U.S. and the U.K., an upscale woman is shown traveling alone on a European train. When she spots an appealing man on a train going in the opposite direction, she uses the infrared beam on her Palm V to transmit her name and phone number to the man’s Palm.
Another ad shows co-workers playing golf with a Palm-toting woman.
“Our message is that this brand is accessible, intuitive and inclusive,” says Peter Martin, agency account director.
–Joan Voight