Bitter Sweet Memories
When I saw the JIRA advert above, I thought its message was obvious.
Atlassian’s ad boldly proclaims “End BSM Now”, and I understood this to be a comment about the Bitter-Sweet Memories we all have of using JIRA. That is, I thought this advert was self-referential and understood that many people hate the product but came up with an ad saying *hey, we’re making it better*.
It’s only now I see it’s meant to be a rallying cry against Bad Service Management. Oh dear.
The Duality of JIRA
I understood that the ad contrasts two realities:
On the left: chaos, despair, and inefficiency.
On the right: joy, speed, and productivity.
So, I would argue that any developer who has used JIRA extensively is on the left-hand side. The image of the frustrated man covering his face? That’s every IT professional who has ever struggled with JIRA’s convoluted workflows, endless configuration options, and sluggish performance. The tortoise dragging itself along? That’s what it feels like navigating JIRA’s interface when you just need to get things done.
The right-hand side is a fantasy for any software developer using JIRA.
The Sweet Promise vs. The Bitter Reality
JIRA Service Management promises a streamlined experience, but in practice, it often feels like a paradox:
Speed
Only if you’re an admin who has spent weeks fine-tuning configurations.
Automation
If you enjoy deciphering obscure documentation and tweaking permissions for hours.
Collaboration
Assuming your team isn’t stuck in an endless cycle of ticket hell.
The car in the ad, sleek and futuristic, represents the dream of efficient service management. But for many, the reality feels more like desperately trying to get that car out of a ditch.
End BSM
Atlassian’s ad aims to position JIRA as the solution to bad service management, but it’s more like an inside joke. The bold statement “End BSM Now” might as well mean “End JIRA Now”, depending on who you ask.
The irony is that JIRA could be great, and it has potential. But instead of being the solution, it often becomes part of the problem and that’s why developers curse its name each day.
I do rather wish they acknowledged this in their advertising campaign. A little humor and realization that you might not have the best product would go a long way to making a big difference.
Final Thoughts
This ad is a perfect example of how marketing and user experience don’t always align. For those who haven’t suffered through JIRA’s quirks, it presents an appealing vision of seamless service management. But for those who have lived it, the ad triggers memories of long, painful workflows and never-ending configuration battles.
JIRA’s biggest challenge isn’t convincing new users. It’s actually convincing former users that it has truly changed. Until then, the bitter-sweet memories remain.