Springfield Armory advertising - a pointless question

[gbclarkson]

What's with the new Springfield advertising campaign: Saint, due for launch 11/1/2016? The Learn More link just brings up more photos of fitness models. I'VE JUST GOT TO KNOW!!! I CAN'T WAIT. I can; just curious. Does anyone know?

[DaleA]

Ummm... Yeah.

I don't know, but it looks like a advertising campaign that's suppose to peak your interest.

If you click on the 'Learn More' button you're presented with a bunch of the 'fitness models' that are all young, buff, high-speed, low-drag operators that are probably fluent in self defense courses I couldn't even pronounce and undoubtedly would kick my butt in any fair confrontation you could name.

All will be revealed (apparently) on 11/1/2016

I like Springfield Armory products, this ad makes me wonder if they've mis-identified their demographic.

[UncleEd]

Yes, I'm puzzled as well.

[WeedWacker]

Reminds me of when my wife went in to labor and we had a pool going for day, time, and gender...

I'm guessing it's going to be a training course offered by Springfield. Kinda like Magpul Dynamics. A bunch of videos and flashy cool new c-clamps and leaning from cover all while using and pushing other Springfield products.

[g.willikers]

Advertising seems to be directed at people who imagine they are what they see in the ads, not necessarily who they actually are.
Maybe Springfield just hired the ad agency and hoped for the best.
Considering all the tv ads that follow the same path of thinking, they must work.
I don't understand it, either.
If you look at ads from the past, they were more about the actual product, not how it makes you a superior being.

[Double Naught Spy]

Well, the ad has worked. Y'all don't even know what it is, but it has your interest.

I have grown weary of such ads, like when Hornady announced they were changing everything about shooting on such and such date and all they did was fix an apparent ballistic tip problem they were having by creating a new bullet (but not actually fixing the problematic bullets that are still offered with the defective tips.

[DaleA]

I actually took an advertising class once. (Back when the ads were painted on the cave walls.) They talked about three phases in a product’s life and they used the Bobcat front end loader as an example.

Phase 1 was when there was no such thing as a little, low cost front end loader like the Bobcat and you had to show people what it did and why they needed it. Lots of, ‘this product can do this job’ type of advertising.

Phase 2 was when the product had become established and there were other companies making the same type of product. At this point you needed to show why your product was better. Lots of ‘facts and figures’ type of advertising showing your numbers were better than the other companies.

Phase 3 was when the product was ‘mature’. That’s when everybody knew what the product could do and probably features and quality had ‘plateaued’ out. That is, the products from most companies now offered the same features and had similar quality. At this point when the product was 'mature' the advertising tended toward the 'immature', i.e. you'd put a gal in a bikini standing next to the front end loader or show your front end loader fighting dragons and demons in a lightning storm.

[Longhorn1986]

Reading their website, I have one recurring thought:

Oh my God! Richard Simmons got his CHL!!!

[Joe_Pike]

They lost me with this "for those that rely on instinct above distraction".

[BarryLee]

Well, they’ve got us talking about them and I suspect on 11/1 lots of folks will be checking out their WEB Site, so it seems like a win for them. Now, I do wonder what they will be rolling out. Will it be a new line of handguns? Tactical fitness wear? Who knows?

[pete2]

I gotta say I don't care.............................................................................

[Texas45]

Ditto

I would link the 7pg thread (one of like 6 started on it) from XDTalk and let everyone enjoy the suckfest but I cant since I on my phone.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[johnwilliamson062]

The e-mail I got was pretty entiing. I actually clicked on the link and don't think I have ever done that for an e-mail from them before. Then I was as confused as everyone else.

Well, the ad has worked. Y'all don't even know what it is, but it has your interest.

They say no coverage is bad coverage, but in this case I'm not so sure. I'm not fond of Springfield to begin with(have never bought and not considering any of their products), but this has me asking if they aren't a bunch of idiots. It appears much of the market agrees.

I thought the site did indicate it is going to be a new line of handguns.

[doofus47]

Yeah, I got the models email today as well. From what I can tell, you have to have a Cthulu tattoo, or do Muay Thai or live in Dallas to qualify.

I think I"m too fat to own that gun, whatever it will turn out to be.

[Aguila Blanca]

Springfield Armory. "The oldest name in American firearms," misleading the buying public since 1974.

Springfield offers some decent guns, but their purposeful deceit regarding the company's [lack of] history has forever turned me off to the brand.

[johnwilliamson062]

Springfield offers some decent guns, but their purposeful deceit regarding the company's [lack of] history has forever turned me off to the brand.

Agree, but at the same time Henry doesn't bother me. I really couldn't tell you why I don't like Springfield Armory.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by johnwilliamson062

Agree, but at the same time Henry doesn't bother me. I really couldn't tell you why I don't like Springfield Armory.

Curiously, I feel the same way. I know that Henry is doing the same thing (the current company trying to portray itself as the same Henry that produced the Civil War-era lever action, a company that eventually became Winchester), and it bothers me ... but not as much as Springfield. Maybe that's because the current Springfield Armory, on top of lying about its non-existent heritage, has most of the guns it sells made outside of the U.S. Pretty sad for "the oldest name in American firearms."

At least Henry's rifles are manufactured in the USA.

[Onward Allusion]

Gotta ask . . . Does the shooting world need ANOTHER AR pattern rifle??? Much ado about nada.

[themalicious0ne]

While I agree that everyone and their mother makes AR's, depending on actual retail price, this actually could make a small splash.

Mid-length, polished trigger, bravo company furniture. I personally strongly prefer bravo company's grip and b5 stock over magpuls. Not that I don't like Magpul but those two items are fantastic. If someone is looking for a manufacturer built ar and this is priced lower than say a colt. I think they would have a winner. This all depends on the reputation it receives from critics. However if it proves to be reliable and compare to colt, ruger, sig, or s&w, I would choose it because of those factors mentioned above.

Edit: IF I had to choose out of those. We all obviously know there are better or could build for cheaper. However if I was in the market for a sub $900 AR and couldn't build. It would be a contestant. Some people refuse to tinker or build, others need a warranty and are on a budget. Those are the ones this might appeal to. Luckily Colt also finally made a midlength, otherwise SA would maybe run away with one of the only midlength rifles available at their local retailer.

[Joe_Pike]

I thought they would be late to the game with a .380 pocket gun, but it turns out they are late to the game with an AR15.

Now I know why all of those people in their ads are sweating.....from running to catch up to all of the other AR manufacturers.

[TMD]

Yawn....

[Double Naught Spy]

I think it is great that Springfield is putting out an AR. I just find it a shame that what they put out was a mix of good and bad things. The front tower sight is a real disappointment as is not bothering to float the barrel. Oh well.

Another advertising build up and disappointment.

[BarryLee]

Dang I was hoping for some tactical workout gear in urban camouflage spandex. However, the new rifle looks fine and SA has an overall good reputation, so it should do OK. I do wonder if the demand for the AR has peaked for any number of reasons and if their engineering budget might have been better spent on something else.

[buck460XVR]

I'm thinkin' this was all about so S.A. fanboys could have their own AR? Otherwise it's pretty much what TMD said........

Yawn....

[Scorch]

So, does this mean ARs are on the way out? It seems as though SA only introduces a product when it is dying. Remember the FAL clones? And their scopes? And the High Power clones? And the M1As? Oh, sorry for that one. They're not quite dead yet . . .