Someone in the Classmates.com advertising department might want to get a little more creative with their ads. One of the latest ads being run by Classmates.com displays a blue “Connect” icon which looks strikingly familiar. Facebook uses a blue “Connect” icon (
) as well to login via their rapidly expanding Facebook Connect service.
Honestly, for those convering the space, the blue button has become somewhat of an icon representing Facebook’s new single sign on service. If all goes well the rest of the world will recognize the blue, “Connect” login button. Classmates.com is apparently trying to take advantage of the icon’s increasing recognition, resulting in what I’m assuming is a click on the advertisement.
Could it be coincidental that the icon is practically identical? Possibly. Using a similar color as another person in an advertisement is nothing new but mimicking their features which will trick users into clicking an ad doesn’t seem like the best strategy. Would a user end up at Classmates.com and think to themselves, “Whoops, this isn’t Facebook.com but while I’m here, let me register and connect with potential classmates”?
I doubt it. My recommendation for Classmates.com? Drop the blue Connect button and come up with something a little more creative.
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There's plenty of trickery and spam and false pokes coming out of classmates. Always trying to get your money and offering no value. Folks report following news of friend activity and finding none when they pay the admission. Just google classmates.com sucks or the same at search.twitter.com.
Comment by Ben Stock of Brainpo — December 3, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
My advice to Classmates.com was even more blunt. I emailed them a while back (I am registered for free there and get their emails) and was like, "look. Facebook is free. you might as well give up on these "premium" memberships and find another way to get money!"
They wrote back a nice, not-too-canned response. but seriously? WHY would anybody pay for Classmates.com when FB is free and gives you the same access to stuff?
I'm kind of surprised they're still surviving.
Comment by Rain — December 4, 2008 @ 5:15 am
No!!! The classmate button is NOT like the Facebook connect button. First of all, if classmate has a concept of "Connections", then they can very validly use a button called "Connect". Moreover, the button backgrounds are different and the font is different. Are you saying that a blue button with "Connect" written on it is now a Facebook property? Otherwise explain to me the similarity that you see here.
Comment by no — December 4, 2008 @ 8:19 am
Pretty sure there have been blue Classmates "connect" buttons (along with many other colors and words over the past 13+ years) long before Facebook's Connect. But it's an interesting marketing question – because one company popularizes a color and word, should other companies therefore abandon it?
Comment by Alex — December 4, 2008 @ 8:30 am
I no you guys are talking about classmates but have you guys seen studentdriven.com it is is a pretty cool website. And it is free not like classmates.
Comment by Art Lakey — June 12, 2009 @ 9:03 am