Nintendo should do a commercial where they show how people played since NES, Snes, N64, GC and Wii`s generation and how they play now.
They could even show videos with people playing their consoles with someone actually there guiding viewers through scenes and explaining what`s happening. Then he finishes on the Wii U and explains a scene from NintendoLand, for example, Luigi`s Mansion minigame or Mario Chase.
It would be cool if the commercial ended with someone coming in asking to switch channels and he kept on playing on the gamepad.

The GamePad is a great piece of hardware, and it opens up so many exciting possibilities for video games. Maybe people just need to experience it first hand. I unboxed my Wii U around Christmas and played with my family and fiancee. Everyone had a blast -- my sister, her fiance, my brother, his kids, my stepmother. We were passing the GamePad across the room, taunting and laughing at each other. Maybe Nintendo just needs to show something like that.

I agree, every demo unit I've seen in a store doesn't even have any demos on it for people to try out, just videos. I have no idea what Nintendo was thinking.

I think the gamepad was such a big mistake I made a thread about it a few weeks ago. That aside though I do agree with the OP that people really have to try it out. I was going to buy a WiiU near launch but the gamepad itself made me reconsider. I'm sure once I've tried it out I'll reconsider again after finally confirming that it is comfortable to hold, it's just that it's really hard to imagine it being comfortable when you see the size of the thing without being able to hold it yourself. You always imagine it will be heavier and more uncomfortable in your head.

I think Nintendo really created a hard sell for themselves here.

I disagree with those of you who say the Gamepad is not good as a controller. It is actually perfect and spot on regarding controls, weight and functionality. They couldn't have made it any better. And I am not mentioning that it is also a tablet and transmits Internet data to my TV effortlessly. What more could one ask for?

The problem is people have to touch it and use it to be convinced.

They should fire their marketing team pronto

How?

This is the problem. It isn't changing anything and it's a poor gimmick. How can a touch pad change how games are played compared to something like the Oculus Rift? It isn't.

wii sold on word of mouth. wiiU will have to sell the same. ..well word on the street is wiiU isn't good.

when the long time and most battle hardened nintendo fans on this site creating threads to bash the wiiU...you know something is wrong.

I also saw these kinds of threads (regarding third party/core support) when the Wii was doing great.