What’s a poor smartphone maker to do when its latest grand plans for U.S. distribution fall through? Hire Wonder Woman, of course. With an AT&T deal reportedly falling through last minute, Huawei’s hanging a lot on its latest celebrity spokesperson, Gal Gadot, as it looks to spread brand recognition globally.
Of course, the marketing’s likely been in the works for a while, and from the sound of reports, the AT&T deal only recently fell through, but it’s hard to shake the feelings that we’ve been through this before. CEO Richard Yu offers bullish predictions with regards to the company’s plans to conquer the States every year, and every year, it ultimately fails to crack the mainstream in a country where most phone purchases are made with help from carrier subsidies.
But Huawei’s going big with the Wonder Woman star, giving her the title of Chief Experience Officer. As for what that actually means within the broader context of the company, here’s Huawei’s talking point: “In this new role, Ms. Gadot will help shape the company’s brand experiences and play an active role in listening to and providing ongoing ideas to inform how Huawei will bring the best experiences to its consumers.”
These sorts of titles are often little more than ceremonial, of course, and Gadot’s involvement with the company could ultimately amount to simply appearing in ads and posting her Huawei-related experiences on social media.
The actress is a good get, of course. Gadot was the highest grossing actress this past year, courtesy of her titular superhero role. She’s also pretty broadly loved and respected (though she’s not managed to sidestep public politics entirely) by moviegoers.
Huawei’s also got a winking bit of kinship with the actress in that both parties have had some issue with pronunciation here in the States, a fact that will play a role in the company’s upcoming marketing.
“It’s pronounced Wow Way” is a tag you’ll likely be seeing quite a bit, as the company pumps more money into U.S.-based ads. That will join the similarly self-effacing “best phone you’ve never heard of” slogan the company has started rolling out in the ramp-up to Mate 10 Pro availability.
Actually helping Huawei become a major player here in the States, however, may take more than a Lasso of Truth.