'Come to think of it, eBay'--killer ad motto or desperate plea?

BoomTown--fresh from slapping around sixth-graders caught in a Bing-stupor and restaurant-seeking vampires from Microsoft--is not quite sure what to think of another new advertising campaign from an Internet giant.

This time, it is coming from eBay.

With the tagline, "Come to think of it, eBay," the ads start Monday, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, to "boost its standing as a holiday shopping destination."

Interestingly, the new marketing campaign in print, television, and online--the first for the Web commerce giant in 18 months--has been crafted by San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, which has also just nabbed the lead role in the $100 million advertising campaign by Yahoo.

A previous eBay ad campaign.

(Credit: Screenshot by The Wall Street Journal)

Goodby, owned by the Omnicom Group, is known for its innovative ideas and has done such memorable campaigns as the Slowsky turtles for Comcast, the weird folk of Emerald Nuts, owned by Diamond Foods, as well as campaigns for tech companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Adobe Systems, and Netflix.

Still, Goodby might be getting a little too cute here, because "come to think of it" could remind consumers exactly how much they have forgotten about eBay.

At best, "come to think of it" is a double-edged sword.

In a good scenario: "Come to think of it, I really haven't listened to my 'Frampton Comes Alive' album in forever and I really want to hear it again."

In a bad scenario: "An old girlfriend of mine is trying to friend me on Facebook--but, come to think of it, she was pretty freaky and I am very scared she found me again."

You get the idea! Come to think of it: play at home!

Actually, according to the Journal story, Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay's marketplace operations, is pushing a different meaning of the phrase, "to shift the buyer perception of what eBay is today."

It has to since San Jose, Calif.-based eBay has seen its core marketplace business suffer, even as it has advertised less.

Here's a video of one of the new ads.

For more videos, see the original story.

Story Copyright (c) 2009 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.

[dcantonucci]

Come to think of it... naw, I like keeping my identity secure.

[Random_Walk]

Come to think of it... I prefer not getting scammed by "sellers".

[solitare_pax]

They should have used Weird Al's song "Ebay"

It captures the essence of Ebay at least.

[luke_marsh]

With the Unemployment Rates this high I suppose this year it's a bit more like a plea.
In the ideology scape george bush has took a perfectly fine with ups and downs well buffered economy left by Clinton and created a false overdebtted Keynesian system that for a time serverd more jobs for more people.
By the time Barrack Obama came to power this tattered model needed a boost injection, well at the time it looked more like a stroke victim.
Now that this new Keynesian model shows some good strength the upper decks won't want more radical Marxist like measures accept where it suits them.
This is always the problem with a Keynesian model the upper decks like it to much and turn almost a deaf ear to the crying lower decks which usually ends in some sort of revolt.
However beyond the ideology of having had to put up with George bush for the previous 8 years next year things like ebay working all sales to all who can buy this year there will be trouble but if the lower decks can be upgraded then the issue could go away and the prospect of revolt dramatically lowered.
This will take to stages.
stage 1)
to re-invent entities like the CTI group into contract finance management services. That is to say they lend and hold money for projects and problems that need to be dealt with for small mid and upstarts this would cause higher competition and a greater need for flexibility in consultancy groups ect macro-bat like even.
stage 2)
If the treacle can be massaged down in a way that improve the overall economy structure then some good percentage marks can be knocked off the jobless totals over the course of 2 years and the US will then be in a full recovery but will be left with the fall out from the crash George bushes way caused.
(oh if only most US citizens didn't take their economic advice from Fox news)
This will mean many clever changes will have to be made in the root areas of holding like housing and even state bonds as to widen the intake from defaults in a way that lowers the overall need for mortgage defaults in the first place and then the economy would actually be back on its feat.

Also in real economic terms the market itself will still need to evolve although its motives in that sense are quite healthy for future economic development and nash equilibriums won't crash in on the parade any time soon is my guess.
So back to the issue about upgrading the advertising model and Ebay yes its a good idea to do so but it might look a bit like a desperate cry at the moment with the head trauma coming from all those crying out for jobs right now.

[Random_Walk]

Wow - nice rant. Problem is, the budgets and spending approvals were set by Congress, which at last check, was run most of that time by a group of folks not in Bush's political party. He merely sent it along.

...care to explain that one?

[MrBoomshadow]

@Random_Walk: The Democrats were in charge for two of the eight years of Bush's presidency. How is that "most" of the time? Learn some math and some manners.

[Random_Walk]

While it is true that the numbers favored the Dems in the House from 2006 onwards, you may want to read this: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm

The Dems ran the Senate (due to a defection by Jeffords) from 2001-2003, had "power sharing" (read: they ran it) until 2004, then got full control in 2006.

Long story short - both parties are to blame, as stated before. Deal with it.

"...Learn some math and some manners."

I just love how partisan politics makes ordinary people into touchy little critters - it's almost as fun as bad-mouthing religion sometimes (and the partisan politic types are a lot more closed-minded... and therefore easier to manipulate.)

[studiodave56]

It's sad that Ebay does not see what they did, by making it harder/more expensive for people to sell the junk in their garage and trying to be more like Amazon they have destroyed their core business customers.
Dictating the shipping costs one can charge and the required time to ship is just one area ebay has gone wrong. Sure there were a few abusers but now ebay is the abuser.

[Squashman2]

I am not sure how anyone can make money selling on eBay anymore. the prices have gone thru the roof since the dot com bust.

[Renegade Knight]

Yesterday I tried to find an auction on eBay for several items. I found exactly 1 auction, and a truckload of overpriced market items.

If eBay wants to be a market great, but I need a new auction house.

[Renegade Knight]

I forgot to mention, the last time I went to sell something on eBay they had new terms, conditions, and prices. It wasn't worth selling there so I threw my item back on the shelf and gave up on that idea as well.

[patty0130]

Any Ebay seller can tell you its desperation time....and what Donahoe is doing (advertise the same big diamond sellers he's been pushing in our faces since last year) will fall flat and be yet another failure in a long list of Donahoe failures! The decline will continue until he's removed and Ebay's business model is made right again. Buyers don't want another Amazon - they have the original and right now it cannot be beat! Amazon's third quarter 68 percent raise in sales screams success!. It also means Donahoe can no longer hide behind the recession as an excuse for Ebay's decline. Donahoe has yet to help sellers do what they came to do - SELL. Instead he has tied them hand and foot and forced outrageous policies on them and manipulated their listings in search. In return, most of the best honest small sellers are gone or listing very very little. What remains is the new chinese junk that floods the site! This junk is listed by diamond sellers - many do not even pay listing fees! Ebay desperately needs new management - one who knows the ins and outs of selling online and can back it with hard experience. If this does not happen, Ebay will continue its slow death. When you read that Donahoe does think selling Paypal in the future is a possibility then you know for sure the end is near!

An 11 year ebay seller