The Native Instrument's (NI) "The Future is Now" direct to web advertisement focuses on its new product the Traktor Kontrol S8. Months before it was released, NI had been teasing the product and its attempt at viral marketing with the hashtag #thefutureisnow. Debuting in late 2014, this commercial paints the Kontrol S8 as a revolutionary piece of equipment for all DJs around the world. The Kontrol S8 was heavily critiqued for its lack of jog wheels, that have been a staple of popular DJ equipment. This commercial did not help build its rapport in the DJ community with the pretentious futuristic first display of the S8. Before breaking down individual frames, here is the complete ad:
The commercial opens with darkness giving anonymity to DJ that could easily be anyone (Figure 1). The first display of the actual device happens in containing a color palette (Figure 2), which has a striking difference to the theme of the commercial that is monotone colors.
Figure 1. The lone DJ enters as he readies to control humans via music.
Figure 2. The Traktor Kontrol S8.
In this frame (Figure 3), Native Instruments shows the purported heads up display that DJs will envision when using the Kontrol S8. The main draw of this piece of equipment is to get "rid of the computer," which is counter-intuitive, since the actual equipment requires a computer to function.
Figure 3. The HUD that all DJ's using the S8 will see while in operation.
Not only having giving a DJ a virtual heads up display, the Kontrol S8 is able to read crowd levels, that contains a slider allowing him to "turn up" the crowd at a whim (Figure 4). The pretentiousness really shines of Native Instruments giving the notion that the Kontrol S8 can function as a bio metrics reader during a concert (Figure 5).
Figure 4. New feature for the Kontrol S8, crowd control slider.
Figure 5. The S8 also functions as a bio metrics reader for on the go analysis.
In the final frame (Figure 6), #thefutureisnow flashes as the crowd of music induced fanatics are seen as something out of a crowd of zombies. Native instruments' attempt to give a vision of the future of djing falls on its face by trying to go viral with this twitter/facebook hashtag. The overuse of scenes out of a sci-fi movie, builds the wrong image of the new product. Native Instruments strategy of pushing the Kontrol S8, rather than show how futuristic the product is, it just gave us a fantasy that does not exist.
Figure 6. #THEFUTUREISNOW where concerts function as doctor visits.
 "The Future is Now" direct to web advertisement focuses on its new product the Traktor...){kind=link}