Campaign: "Fundamentally Different"

Rationale

GNOME 3.0 is going to introduce two major changes:

1. Libraries will become obsolete, or their API will change.
2. The GUI will change rather drastically for the end-user if GNOME Shell is going to be used.

The campaign idea communicates these major changes. One may say: GNOME 3.0 is going to be different (to the previous version). And the difference is fundamental -- first, because it affects the foundation on which GNOME 3.0 is build (its basement or grounding) and, second, because the visible changes (the GUI) will be essential.

Thus, the campaign builds on the slogan "Fundamentally different".

Advantages

1. The slogan is fuzzy. It needs interpretation. Therefore, it will be understood (in a loose sense of understanding) even by people who don't know what GNOME is. From their point of view, the message is about fundamental differences to "others", ie. to other desktops (or known brands like Microsoft Windows and Apple's MacOS).

2. The slogan is beneficial: Many people like to be different. They don't want to be like everybody else. They like to appear as individuals and by using different (or exceptional) products, they communicate their self-image to others.

As an additional advantage, the slogan is flexible: It will still work, even if GNOME Shell is not going to be used. Many desktops changed the user interface drastically with major revisions: for example, Windows 3.11 to Windows 95, Windows 2000 to Windows XP, Windows XP to Windows Vista, GNOME 1.0 to GNOME 2.0, KDE 3 to KDE 4. But users are not always glad about such changes. It often renders their existing knowledge irrelevant; it destroys value without offering real benefits. Since major desktop makers basically trained end-users to expect such a behavior, many end-users fear major revisions.

In other words: The release of a major revision with no changes in the main user interface is uncommon and unexpected for the end-user.

If GNOME 3.0 won't use GNOME Shell (for whatever reasons), another possible interpretation of the slogan could be: "The release of GNOME 3.0 is fundamentally different to other desktops because it won't affect the way the end-user is used to work."

Other Copy

Sub-Slogan: "Different Software For a Different Generation."

While the fuzziness of the slogan is an advantage, it may need some more context to make the message more clear. This is made by adding a "sub slogan" that provides additional hints and clues, so the message gets a context. It emphasizes "difference". On the one hand, the difference of the product ("Different software"), and on the other the difference of the potential audience ("Different generation").

Content Copy:

Depending on the media, there may be space to add additional copy to present details why GNOME 3.0 is different to other desktops. Web banners typically have no space for long copy. But posters, for example, may have two or three paragraphs. Most people don't read it, but some do. The main media for longer copy is flyers (broschures).

The main text will have to be written, but the general direction will be to emphasizes GNOME's major benefits in the headlines. For example:

• (Finally ?) Understand What Your Computer Says.

  • (Copy mentions Usability and i18n stuff.)

• Get a Growing Selection of Software for FREE.

  • (Copy mentions Open Source Stuff.)

• Share Your Ideas and Software With Your Friends.

  • (Copy mentions Open Source stuff, again. Also compatibility.)

• Be Your Own Creator.

  • (Copy mentions free development tools and languages and how easy it is to start making your own stuff.)

There's probably not enough space to present all potential benefits. So, the marketing team needs to figure out, what benefits are most attractive to existing users and potential new prospects.

Call-to-Action:

For some reason, some people like being told what to do. Thus, a call-to-action makes clear what a prospect is supposed to do to get what we offer. Depending on the media, the space and thus the potential length may differ.

Here is a suggestion that's easy to shorten if necessary:

• "Visit www.get-gnome3.org today and get the difference (or: be different). No price tag. No strings attached. Just FREE."

Images and layout

"Strange" people that look sympathetic to a young audience, for example. Or a couple that is obviously different and doesn't fit. (This builds on "difference") Or use something more abstract, not so effective but more agreeable: Colored Lego blocks, Photoshopped "strange" houses, etc. -- something that plays with "foundation", "basement", "grounding"...

Media Ideas

There are several different ways, we can use to communicate the basic message to a target audience.

• Media Partnership (as mentioned in my first mail)
• Web Banners: Build on the above image and slogan, to be used in blogs, third-party websites, etc. Start maybe 6 or 3 months before release with a countdown.
• Web Site: Reiteration of the main points but different action line: "Download Now". Also back-end to organize Supporters to organize Booth Presentations, Media Distribution, etc.
• Media Distribution: At universities and schools to distribute Posters and Flyers.
• Booth presentations: At universities and schools (thus the focus on young people in the images) to distribute media partnership CDs.
• Video Contest: "Are You Different?" Side Campaign On GNOME users to explain why they re different and why they use GNOME.

Of course, we could throw in other stuff when the visuals and text is ready. A Standard Presentation for Developers, for example. We can also throw out stuff when there are no volunteers.