Apple's first HomePod ads urge customers to 'order now'

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2018
Apple Kicked off promotional efforts for its new HomePod on Saturday with four short ads showing off the smart speaker's svelte chassis and unique LCD control panel.




Each of the videos posted to Apple's YouTube channel are 16 seconds in length, suitable for online interstitials and social media campaigns. The ads are the first to promote HomePod sales, which started on Friday.

Heavy on style and light on content, the commercials are reminiscent of media player visualizers like those made popular by iTunes. Text reading "HomePod," accomplished in Apple's San Francisco font, pulses, dissolves, warps, bends and multiplies to the beat of popular songs.

Featured in this first set of ads are "Holy Water" by Hembree, "Ain't I" by Lizzo, "All Night" by Big Boi and "DNA" by Kendrick Lamar.

Following each visualizer sequence is a series of quick moving close-ups of HomePod. The glory shots show off the device's stout design, sleek fabric mesh covering and LCD top panel, the latter of which plays double duty as a touch interface for media playback and Siri control.

















Each ad concludes with a call to "Order Now."

HomePod represents Apple's first foray into the smart speaker space, an industry largely created -- and dominated -- by Amazon and its line of Alexa-equipped Echo products. Similar to Amazon and Google Home devices, HomePod features tight integration with Apple's Siri virtual assistant, which can be called upon to control media playback, command HomeKit accessories and answer basic queries.

Priced much higher than competing speakers, Apple is pushing hard to differentiate HomePod by touting its specialized audio components like a multi-microphone, multi-tweeter array that assists in beamforming and adaptive noise cancellation. Early previews of the device praise HomePod's sound quality, but question whether that and basic Siri capabilities justify a high $349 price tag.

After announcing a start to preorders earlier this week, Apple activated HomePod sales on Friday.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 113
    robertwalterrobertwalter Posts: 276member
    Not very impressive commercials. 
    trashman69boxcatcherrogifan_newkkqd1337techruleszroger73fotoformatSpamSandwichbb-15[Deleted User]
  • Reply 2 of 113
    jakebjakeb Posts: 563member
    Tricky to show off good sound capabilities when people are watching the commercial on a device with lesser sound capabilities. But I think they did a good job and at least put the focus on sound, not siri
    cornchipjahbladeracerhomie3caladanianRobPalmer9StrangeDaysjony0
  • Reply 3 of 113
    KentfromohioKentfromohio Posts: 25member
    Great ads. Make me want to go get my ho's and my bitches and, well, nevermind.
    jas99robin huberchristophb
  • Reply 4 of 113
    negociarlawnegociarlaw Posts: 42member
    robertwalter said:
    Not very impressive commercials. 
    I Agree.

    I usually love Apple ads. Those were terrible.
    techruleszroger73SpamSandwichkestral
  • Reply 5 of 113
    seankillseankill Posts: 567member
    Not sure what this thing does that’s worth $350 USD
    techruleswilliamlondonSpamSandwichkestralxzu[Deleted User]
  • Reply 6 of 113
    seankillseankill Posts: 567member
    Not sure why this thing is worth $350

    Better speakers out there for much less and Siri really isn’t that useful. 
    edited January 2018 boxcatchertechruleswilliamlondonkestralallmypeople
  • Reply 7 of 113
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,900member
    seankill said:
    Not sure why this thing is worth $350

    Better speakers out there for much less and Siri really isn’t that useful. 
    And you can confidently say there are better speakers out there when you've never used, nor heard HomePod? It's not just a speaker, and Siri isn't all it can do. Siri on your phone is different than Siri on your Mac, which will be different from Siri on HomePod. 
    boxcatcherzroger73williamlondonpropodlevibb-15jony0
  • Reply 8 of 113
    brakkenbrakken Posts: 687member
    Terrible ads. 
    Show us what they hell they are for!!
    techrules
  • Reply 9 of 113
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    The song choices and visual effects are brilliant for these simple, 15 second spots.
    paisleydisco2old4funjurassic
  • Reply 10 of 113
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,900member
    brakken said:
    Terrible ads. 
    Show us what they hell they are for!!
    Did you watch the entire ad? It shows what its for. Do you need glasses?
    williamlondon2old4funStrangeDays
  • Reply 11 of 113
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,128member
    I wonder if Angie will put sound rooms in Apple Stores? Because having one of these sitting out on a shelf in a crowded store isn't going to help them sell.

    I remember stereo stores where all the components could be compared. Select a set of components in a separate room from a huge stack. Guess those days are gone. 

    Anyone know if these have like a 30-90 days money back promise? Take it home and see if it is worth the $350, and if not, get a refund?

    I was initially thinking we'd eventually see bundles or Apple throwing in a free AM subscription. But Apple will never admit a failure, so this seems unlikely.
  • Reply 12 of 113
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    eightzero said:
    I wonder if Angie will put sound rooms in Apple Stores? Because having one of these sitting out on a shelf in a crowded store isn't going to help them sell.

    I remember stereo stores where all the components could be compared. Select a set of components in a separate room from a huge stack. Guess those days are gone. 

    Anyone know if these have like a 30-90 days money back promise? Take it home and see if it is worth the $350, and if not, get a refund?

    I was initially thinking we'd eventually see bundles or Apple throwing in a free AM subscription. But Apple will never admit a failure, so this seems unlikely.
    1) I don't think they can have a completely isolated room based on store size, traffic and logistics, but I have to assume they've looked into the physics of materials and structure to create an open sound booth that can at least idealize audio for a demo.

    2) There's no need to press some red buttons on a wall to select a variety of speakers and receiver choices since it's just the one product, and I doubt they'll set up competitor devices for you to test alongside HomePod.

    3) In the US you get 14-days from Apple as standard, and with no restocking fee.

    4) Apple Music already has a free trial period and was given free service for a period with some Beats headphones, yet neither Beats or Apple Music is failing.
    StrangeDaysphilboogierandominternetperson
  • Reply 13 of 113
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    I am not sure why people hate these ads. I love them. It is about the music and it is visualized. Great tv ad reminiscent of the iPod ads. 
    paisleydiscomjtomlinStrangeDaysNotsofastrandominternetperson
  • Reply 14 of 113
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    seankill said:
    Not sure what this thing does that’s worth $350 USD
    Same BS line people used for the original iPod.The integration with iOS, Siri & excellent sound.
    williamlondon2old4funStrangeDayscornchipjahblade
  • Reply 15 of 113
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,128member
    seankill said:
    Not sure what this thing does that’s worth $350 USD
    Same BS line people used for the original iPod.The integration with iOS, Siri & excellent sound.
    I didn't buy one of those for a long time after they came out either. And now I think about it, the first one I did buy (and it is right here in my hand - a 4GB iPod original) was a gift for my wife. I think I got an iPod mini as the first one. It wasn't $350.
    edited January 2018
  • Reply 16 of 113
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    paxman said:
    I am not sure why people hate these ads. I love them. It is about the music and it is visualized. Great tv ad reminiscent of the iPod ads. 
    It's a 15 second ad and a teaser for a yet unreleased product, but they want it to be another keynote event as if the general public is driven by specs.

    Don't trolls come here to say that Apple is only good at marketing? If that's the case, then why come here to say they also such at marketing?
    StrangeDayscornchipphilboogieroundaboutnowrandominternetperson
  • Reply 17 of 113
    harry wildharry wild Posts: 813member
    $350 is still pretty expensive for a small speaker system like the Homepod!  It is tiny!
    supadav03williamlondonxzu
  • Reply 18 of 113
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    harry wild said:
    $350 is still pretty expensive for a small speaker system like the Homepod!  It is tiny!
    It's not, high quality similar speakers are in this price range, it packs a hell of lot in its small frame.
    williamlondonStrangeDayspropodjahblade
  • Reply 19 of 113
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,729member
    seankill said:
    Not sure why this thing is worth $350

    Better speakers out there for much less and Siri really isn’t that useful. 
    This should give you a idea why;

    https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/7t51a2/nda_is_up_what_can_i_tell_you_guys_about_the/
    caladanianfotoformatStrangeDaysxzupatchythepiratejahbladerandominternetperson
  • Reply 20 of 113
    petripetri Posts: 121member
    DOA.
    williamlondonxzu
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