Advertising and marketing efforts are all around us. Every waking hour of every day, someone somewhere tries to get us interested in their latest product or service.
While TV and radio have dominated over the years, increasingly the Internet is the go-to platform for companies determined to portray their product as the next big thing.
The Internet has many great qualities and for those looking to do something a bit different or wild, its unregulated nature means you can do whatever the hell you want. Or at the least shoot first, worry about the consequences later.
That appears to be the philosophy of the company behind the Z Stream Box, the next ‘big’ thing in audio-visual consumption. Promoted via a glossy website and numerous online videos, the set-top Z Stream Box aims to fulfil the dreams of every movie, TV show, sports and music junkie.
“Get the Biggest Shows, the Latest Movies, Stream the biggest blockbusters here first. Watch every episode of your favorite shows, past and present, Live and on demand. Enjoy the latest series and specials as they premiere without waiting,” the advertising reads.
“Break free of annual contracts, surprise fees and TV that ties you down. With Z Stream Box® get the TV you love over 100 of your favorite channels, Hit movies, Documentaries, Sports and more! NO contracts and NO monthly payments ever.”
While these kinds of claims are usually the sole preserve of pirate devices, there are various indicators on the Z Stream site suggesting that this must be a legitimate offer. Firstly, it has celebrity endorsements. Here’s a nice image of singer, songwriter and actress Christina Millian enjoying the device.
And to make sure that the cord-cutting phenomenon resonates with the younger generation, here’s YouTube star Jordyn Jones holding a Z Stream Box and looking surprised at how much it can do.
For those who haven’t already guessed, the basic premise of the Z Stream Box is that people can stop paying their expensive cable bills and get all their content online. It’s an Internet sensation!
Actually, let’s cut the nonsense. Z Stream Box is nothing more than a Kodi-enabled Android box with all the best pirate addons such as Genesis and Icefilms fully installed.
While that probably isn’t much of a shock by now, the way this device is being marketed is nothing short of remarkable.
Claimed celebrity endorsements aside, the people at Z Stream have commissioned a full-blown 18-minute infomercial for their device which must have cost a small fortune and would be at home on any shopping channel.
Seriously, this gig has absolutely everything – several glossy presenters, many actors, a perfect family, potential and existing ‘customers’ who can’t quite believe how good the device is, and much much more.
Of course, you’re probably wondering how much all this costs. Well, it’s the equivalent of just a few months cable, apparently. Admittedly that’s quite a lot of cash, but it’s the savings that are important, Z Stream say.
In the end it’s revealed the unit costs ‘just’ $295.95. That’s almost $300 for a box that would cost less than $100 if people looked around for something similar on eBay or Amazon. But do those products come with a free five-day cruise for two around the Bahamas, including all onboard meals and entertainment? Thought not. (18 minutes into the video below)
The full and quite unbelievable infomercial is embedded below and for those interested in just how far pirate advertising can go, the Z Stream Box website can be found here. Facebook here, YouTube account here.
Update: The Z Stream Box website has been taken down, Google Cache to the rescue, with Archive.is backup
Video mirror here
