I sincerely hope the folks at Zune have more up their sleeve than the all but invisible television commercials promoting their supposed iPod-killer. In the commercials I've seen, the product seems as transparent as the logo — a matrix of thin lines that creates a Z. Depending on how you long you stare at the logo eyes, it can appear as though you're looking down at a Z from the Northwest, a neat little graphic trick. You don't have to squint however, to see that the Zune looks like the Apple iPod's wicked stepsister. 

Understandably, the Zune commercials travel far and away from Apple's human silhouettes against brightly colored backgrounds — images that are as simple and sleek as the iPod itself. Zune's creative departure is strategically sound. Using real people in "real" situations says it's a player for real people. That's where the all the Zune-y goodness stops.

One Zune commercial, Basement, takes the viewer inside what looks like a drugless salsa rave. DJs and onlookers bob their heads to the beat, diggin' the music, because after all, it is about the music — your music. Watch closely, because if you blink at any point throughout the spot, you may miss the Zune player. Once you begin to tire of the scene, the super comes up: welcome to the social. 

I'm assuming the folks at Zune are touting the player's ability to share music, but as social and open this player should be, the commercial actually made me feel cramped.

In anothe commercial, Picnic, friends and couples are gathered at a park. They're having  conversations with earplugs inserted, and Zune in hand. Perhaps it's part of the new multi-tasking generation that can walk, chew gum, and X-BOX simultaneously, but no one I know would tolerate this semblance of inattention. I can pretty much predict my wife would yank the earplugs from my ears.

Besides, based on Microsoft's ability to deliver pristine, glitch-free software, a music sharing scenario might go something like this:

"Hey man, could you beam over Rape Me?"

"I did."

"Well I didn't get it."

"There. I sent it again." 

"Gimme that thing!"

"Screw you dude! I am so out  of your social."

"Fine! Maybe if you'd download your patches you wouldn't be so — so stupid." 

Being an owner of three iPods myself, I can honestly say I've never wanted, or felt the need, to share my music — not even with my wife. It's such a personal choice that a social advertising approach seems counter-intuitive.

Before I bore you as much as the Zune commercials bored me, I will say that the commercials are beautifully shot and edited. They feel real, and I suspect the imagery connects with the 18-25 year old party scene. As real as they seem, they're far from feeling as special and different as the iPod commercials. 

Best of luck to Zune, but my money's still on the iPod.