This is probably another Apple iAds is d00med thing but I'm sure Apple is not going to give up on it. Steve notwithstanding. The reality will be more accurate on iAd's success.
Apple can be frustrating to work with, everyone knows that.
For a minute, just suppose SJ and Apple allows that (again supposed) craptastic idea/ad on their network/devices and takes Adidas' money.... and the ad REALLY is bad and doesn't even measure, meaning click-thru's and views.
You know what's coming, right? You betcha... Adidas' ad agency releases a PR saying how the iAd network isn't what it's cracked up to be... still putting the blame on Apple's shoulders.
The reason many in Europe haven't seen any iAds is because Apple is still building out the creative department. I was actually considering sending my resume. However, I've been my own boss now for so long (20+ years) that I can't imagine giving up my Creative Director status and power to make decisions, to some 30-something or younger. I'm normally the one keeping THEM on track using my experience and what has been done over the years, as a balance to their over-enthusiasm for everything "cool" and new, regardless of merit or prospects for success and results.
Last note: it is my job as an AD & CD to tell my clients (and their Marketing heads mostly!) when something is uhm...crap... and do so almost weekly. At least they (the accounting dept. and CEOs) know I'm not just BSing them to take their money. No one will ever call me an "A**-kisser" that's for sure. I'm actually very proud of that fact!
For a minute, just suppose SJ and Apple allows that (again supposed) craptastic idea/ad on their network/devices and takes Adidas' money.... and the ad REALLY is bad and doesn't even measure, meaning click-thru's and views.
You know what's coming, right? You betcha... Adidas' ad agency releases a PR saying how the iAd network isn't what it's cracked up to be... still putting the blame on Apple's shoulders.
The reason many in Europe haven't seen any iAds is because Apple is still building out the creative department. I was actually considering sending my resume. However, I've been my own boss now for so long (20+ years) that I can't imagine giving up my Creative Director status and power to make decisions, to some 30-something or younger. I'm normally the one keeping THEM on track using my experience and what has been done over the years, as a balance to their over-enthusiasm for everything "cool" and new, regardless of merit or prospects for success and results.
Last note: it is my job as an AD & CD to tell my clients (and their Marketing heads mostly!) when something is uhm...crap... and do so almost weekly. At least they (the accounting dept. and CEOs) know I'm not just BSing them to take their money. No one will ever call me an "A**-kisser" that's for sure. I'm actually very proud of that fact!
Last note: it is my job as an AD & CD to tell my clients (and their Marketing heads mostly!) when something is uhm...crap... and do so almost weekly. At least they (the accounting dept. and CEOs) know I'm not just BSing them to take their money. No one will ever call me an "A**-kisser" that's for sure. I'm actually very proud of that fact!
Most advertising and marketing is crap. Once you develop "taste" and do some commercial photoshop/ illustrator work it's a very dangerous thing, you realise how bad and ordinary most design, graphics, ads, etc. are. Most visuals are more or less: make gradient background, mask out product, add drop shadow/glow, add big lettering, add drop shadow/glow to that, voila. That said it is challenging in any art form to continually, at every turn, innovate, create, to do something different all the time while still earning approval from clients and making an income.
Glad you are making a satisfying living from (what sounds like) having good taste.
I'm calling "bull". Creative work rejected only three times? That's NOTHING!
I don't believe this for a second. Concepts may be generated in the dozens or hundreds before being finalized, especially for a multi-million dollar campaign.
Yes, but under normal conditions, it's the advertiser doing the rejecting, not the advertising agency. If you're the company paying out the bucks, you don't get an agency saying, "It's our way or the highway." If any other agency tried that, they'd get exactly this reaction, which is, "We'll take our money elsewhere."
Also, in many cases, advertising is time-sensitive. You can't take forever and a day fine-tuning a campaign if the product will be introduced on a certain date or will have a relatively short lifetime.
I'm not sure what Apple is trying to accomplish with the iAds beta anyway. Look at the biggest name in online advertising for a glimpse of who is really spending the money on online ads. There was a recent report about Google's client list getting out and the discovery was that Google is making its money from small and medium businesses, not big name clients and Fortune 500 companies. So it makes me wonder how Apple is positioning their ad network relative to the competition.
People may complain about the quality of ads from Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo (which is now Microsoft too) but the reality is that these ads are made by mom and pops around the world who may not have a marketing department or even aware of what a promotional mix is. I can understand Apple just going after mostly advertisers that match their customers' general attribute profile (higher educated, higher income), but considering that these buyers aren't typically influenced by web/mobile ads, I don't see why Apple is wasting money creating the ads for these clients. Just use a review process similar to the app store. Advertising various products and services isn't Apple's core competency, making computer and mobile products that are perceived by most consumers as high quality, high value is.
All I'm saying is, Apple, stick with what you know not what you think you can turn yourself into just because you think your former friend is competing with you. You hear report after report how Android users are less educated, lower income families compared to iPhone owners; how they're more likely to click on an ad than iOS users, and less likely to actually purchase an app. So why try to chase a market you don't belong in with products these users can't afford, advertising products and services they can't afford? That's why I don't see iAds taking off. It will never beat adMob in general advertising, and it doesn't have to, but don't run off your advertisers because you want 100% control. Let them burn their own brands.
Adidas is a really big brand so Apple needs to make sure they put out a quality ad. Having just launched the iAds brand, Apple does not want to have their image tarnished with mediocre crap. Steve promised a cinematic experience and that is what viewers expect. In this case it is more like a partnership than a typical agency, client relationship.
Yes, but under normal conditions, it's the advertiser doing the rejecting, not the advertising agency. If you're the company paying out the bucks, you don't get an agency saying, "It's our way or the highway." If any other agency tried that, they'd get exactly this reaction, which is, "We'll take our money elsewhere."
Also, in many cases, advertising is time-sensitive. You can't take forever and a day fine-tuning a campaign if the product will be introduced on a certain date or will have a relatively short lifetime.
I agree with you 100% --- it's perfectly ok for the client (adidas) to reject the advertising agency's ideas a thousand times (because adidas is the client).
I predict that advertisers like adidas will do viral ads on stuff that Apple rejected --- much like how advertisers PURPOSEFULLY make basically nc17 ads for the superbowl campaign, gets rejected by NBC or CBS and then go viral on youtube. Didn't even have to pay for that million dollar 30 second superbowl slot.
That's MY sales pitch for an ad agency. Make the most tasteless ad you can imagine, get rejected by Apple and then go viral on the ad.
Advertising various products and services isn't Apple's core competency, making computer and mobile products that are perceived by most consumers as high quality, high value is.
Exactly. If Apple was the incredible ad agency that they're claiming to be, they wouldn't have needed other agencies to create their own ads. For instance, TBWA\\Chiat\\Day created the Get a Mac campaign, not Apple.
Exactly. If Apple was the incredible ad agency that they're claiming to be, they wouldn't have needed other agencies to create their own ads. For instance, TBWA\\Chiat\\Day created the Get a Mac campaign, not Apple.
Let's discuss your assertion a bit:
1) They weren't IN the ad business when the Get a Mac campaign was done.
2) But they knew what they wanted and got it. Their competitors didn't. That is because with great ads it takes both agency and client to be visionary.
3) A company with imagination, vision, creativity, and great design credentials might very well make a great "ad agency" to the limited extent that ads on iOS devices constitute an ad agency.
Adidas is a really big brand so Apple needs to make sure they put out a quality ad. Having just launched the iAds brand, Apple does not want to have their image tarnished with mediocre crap.
I guess that raises the question, what Adidas ads have you seen were crap? It seems a bit much to assume that Adidas's proposals must have been crap, I don't remember ever seeing a bad Adidas ad in a long time, if ever. Ads from a company like them are usually at least decent, what's hurting ads are the pharmacy ads, ads for weight loss snake oil, various penis pills and so on. Of course, this is all a rumor, it is probably some made-up BS.
2) But they knew what they wanted and got it. Their competitors didn't. That is because with great ads it takes both agency and client to be visionary.
I take it your in "The Biz"... because that little quote hits it on the nail!
Apple really...really... needs to get out a creative-friendly application to create both iAds, Albums, and HTML5 i.e. iOS-friendly websites and web-apps.
Sorry, but x-code is just too geeky for us creative types... and takes away from the creative-flow of ideas, and puts too much emphasis on the finite-precision of programmers and developers.
Regardless of how highly I respect Apple's "brand and image management", they really do have to leave it up to the advertisers and their agencies to make campaign decisions. They're really stretching their "control (freak?)" nature on this one. Building out great "case-study examples" in the beginning is a good idea.... but eventually they have to let the platform grow without their "fingers in the soup". Too many "fingers"... (and a big FAT middle one!) is why MS can't get an ad out worth watching, unless it's viral on YouTube and being laughed at.
I'm kind of surprised Apple doesn't have an iAd gallery app with all the current iAds ala the Mac advertisement archive on apple.com.
That's an excellent idea so everyone, including future advertisers, etc. know what it is about and even more eyeballs for the advertisers. Win-win all around. Now if they only started approving them ads..!! If... the rumours are to be believed... LOL
I don't blame Adidas. In the end I guess there's just too many involved to have a say.
Something like:
1. Adidas marketing
2. Commercial agency
3. Software developers
.. and then
4. Apple "publisher", acting like they are 1. marketing.
The moment Apple says "Change this, Change that. Wouldn't it be better to do it this way? Optimize this." it's gonna cost a lot of money down the whole line, with meetings and more work for everybody involved.
But I don't blame Apple either.. I'm sure they just wanna have real high profile customers with top of the line iAds to start with.
I guess nothing would stop competitors to develop cool html5 ads though. So I really don't see what's so special with iAds, technically.. really. Isn't it just an embedded html5 thing?
That's an excellent idea so everyone, including future advertisers, etc. know what it is about and even more eyeballs for the advertisers. Win-win all around. Now if they only started approving them ads..!! If... the rumours are to be believed... LOL
You want more eyeballs --- then create a completely tasteless ad that will be 100% rejected by the Apple people. CNN will pick up the story and basically every news show in the world will air it --- FOR FREE.
Advertisers have been doing it EVERY single year for Superbowl ad campaigns. They deliberately make commercials that will be rejected by the networks so that they don't have to pay that million dollar 30 second slot.
Comments
Apple can be frustrating to work with, everyone knows that.
You know what's coming, right? You betcha... Adidas' ad agency releases a PR saying how the iAd network isn't what it's cracked up to be... still putting the blame on Apple's shoulders.
The reason many in Europe haven't seen any iAds is because Apple is still building out the creative department. I was actually considering sending my resume. However, I've been my own boss now for so long (20+ years) that I can't imagine giving up my Creative Director status and power to make decisions, to some 30-something or younger. I'm normally the one keeping THEM on track using my experience and what has been done over the years, as a balance to their over-enthusiasm for everything "cool" and new, regardless of merit or prospects for success and results.
Last note: it is my job as an AD & CD to tell my clients (and their Marketing heads mostly!) when something is uhm...crap... and do so almost weekly. At least they (the accounting dept. and CEOs) know I'm not just BSing them to take their money. No one will ever call me an "A**-kisser" that's for sure. I'm actually very proud of that fact!
For a minute, just suppose SJ and Apple allows that (again supposed) craptastic idea/ad on their network/devices and takes Adidas' money.... and the ad REALLY is bad and doesn't even measure, meaning click-thru's and views.
You know what's coming, right? You betcha... Adidas' ad agency releases a PR saying how the iAd network isn't what it's cracked up to be... still putting the blame on Apple's shoulders.
The reason many in Europe haven't seen any iAds is because Apple is still building out the creative department. I was actually considering sending my resume. However, I've been my own boss now for so long (20+ years) that I can't imagine giving up my Creative Director status and power to make decisions, to some 30-something or younger. I'm normally the one keeping THEM on track using my experience and what has been done over the years, as a balance to their over-enthusiasm for everything "cool" and new, regardless of merit or prospects for success and results.
Last note: it is my job as an AD & CD to tell my clients (and their Marketing heads mostly!) when something is uhm...crap... and do so almost weekly. At least they (the accounting dept. and CEOs) know I'm not just BSing them to take their money. No one will ever call me an "A**-kisser" that's for sure. I'm actually very proud of that fact!
Excellent points.
Their ethics in a vast array of arenas is going to hell.
Over the past few years I have gone from Apple fan boy to someone who isn't far from hating the company.
Their ethics in a vast array of arenas is going to hell.
Hi Newtron, welcome back!
Last note: it is my job as an AD & CD to tell my clients (and their Marketing heads mostly!) when something is uhm...crap... and do so almost weekly. At least they (the accounting dept. and CEOs) know I'm not just BSing them to take their money. No one will ever call me an "A**-kisser" that's for sure. I'm actually very proud of that fact!
Most advertising and marketing is crap. Once you develop "taste" and do some commercial photoshop/ illustrator work it's a very dangerous thing, you realise how bad and ordinary most design, graphics, ads, etc. are. Most visuals are more or less: make gradient background, mask out product, add drop shadow/glow, add big lettering, add drop shadow/glow to that, voila. That said it is challenging in any art form to continually, at every turn, innovate, create, to do something different all the time while still earning approval from clients and making an income.
Glad you are making a satisfying living from (what sounds like) having good taste.
I'm calling "bull". Creative work rejected only three times? That's NOTHING!
I don't believe this for a second. Concepts may be generated in the dozens or hundreds before being finalized, especially for a multi-million dollar campaign.
Yes, but under normal conditions, it's the advertiser doing the rejecting, not the advertising agency. If you're the company paying out the bucks, you don't get an agency saying, "It's our way or the highway." If any other agency tried that, they'd get exactly this reaction, which is, "We'll take our money elsewhere."
Also, in many cases, advertising is time-sensitive. You can't take forever and a day fine-tuning a campaign if the product will be introduced on a certain date or will have a relatively short lifetime.
People may complain about the quality of ads from Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo (which is now Microsoft too) but the reality is that these ads are made by mom and pops around the world who may not have a marketing department or even aware of what a promotional mix is. I can understand Apple just going after mostly advertisers that match their customers' general attribute profile (higher educated, higher income), but considering that these buyers aren't typically influenced by web/mobile ads, I don't see why Apple is wasting money creating the ads for these clients. Just use a review process similar to the app store. Advertising various products and services isn't Apple's core competency, making computer and mobile products that are perceived by most consumers as high quality, high value is.
All I'm saying is, Apple, stick with what you know not what you think you can turn yourself into just because you think your former friend is competing with you. You hear report after report how Android users are less educated, lower income families compared to iPhone owners; how they're more likely to click on an ad than iOS users, and less likely to actually purchase an app. So why try to chase a market you don't belong in with products these users can't afford, advertising products and services they can't afford? That's why I don't see iAds taking off. It will never beat adMob in general advertising, and it doesn't have to, but don't run off your advertisers because you want 100% control. Let them burn their own brands.
Yes, but under normal conditions, it's the advertiser doing the rejecting, not the advertising agency. If you're the company paying out the bucks, you don't get an agency saying, "It's our way or the highway." If any other agency tried that, they'd get exactly this reaction, which is, "We'll take our money elsewhere."
Also, in many cases, advertising is time-sensitive. You can't take forever and a day fine-tuning a campaign if the product will be introduced on a certain date or will have a relatively short lifetime.
I agree with you 100% --- it's perfectly ok for the client (adidas) to reject the advertising agency's ideas a thousand times (because adidas is the client).
I predict that advertisers like adidas will do viral ads on stuff that Apple rejected --- much like how advertisers PURPOSEFULLY make basically nc17 ads for the superbowl campaign, gets rejected by NBC or CBS and then go viral on youtube. Didn't even have to pay for that million dollar 30 second superbowl slot.
That's MY sales pitch for an ad agency. Make the most tasteless ad you can imagine, get rejected by Apple and then go viral on the ad.
Advertising various products and services isn't Apple's core competency, making computer and mobile products that are perceived by most consumers as high quality, high value is.
Exactly. If Apple was the incredible ad agency that they're claiming to be, they wouldn't have needed other agencies to create their own ads. For instance, TBWA\\Chiat\\Day created the Get a Mac campaign, not Apple.
Can anyone tell me where I can go to access a real life iAd? So I can see one for myself... Thanks.
I'm kind of surprised Apple doesn't have an iAd gallery app with all the current iAds ala the Mac advertisement archive on apple.com.
Exactly. If Apple was the incredible ad agency that they're claiming to be, they wouldn't have needed other agencies to create their own ads. For instance, TBWA\\Chiat\\Day created the Get a Mac campaign, not Apple.
Let's discuss your assertion a bit:
1) They weren't IN the ad business when the Get a Mac campaign was done.
2) But they knew what they wanted and got it. Their competitors didn't. That is because with great ads it takes both agency and client to be visionary.
3) A company with imagination, vision, creativity, and great design credentials might very well make a great "ad agency" to the limited extent that ads on iOS devices constitute an ad agency.
Adidas is a really big brand so Apple needs to make sure they put out a quality ad. Having just launched the iAds brand, Apple does not want to have their image tarnished with mediocre crap.
I guess that raises the question, what Adidas ads have you seen were crap? It seems a bit much to assume that Adidas's proposals must have been crap, I don't remember ever seeing a bad Adidas ad in a long time, if ever. Ads from a company like them are usually at least decent, what's hurting ads are the pharmacy ads, ads for weight loss snake oil, various penis pills and so on. Of course, this is all a rumor, it is probably some made-up BS.
Let's discuss your assertion a bit:
2) But they knew what they wanted and got it. Their competitors didn't. That is because with great ads it takes both agency and client to be visionary.
I take it your in "The Biz"... because that little quote hits it on the nail!
Apple really...really... needs to get out a creative-friendly application to create both iAds, Albums, and HTML5 i.e. iOS-friendly websites and web-apps.
Sorry, but x-code is just too geeky for us creative types... and takes away from the creative-flow of ideas, and puts too much emphasis on the finite-precision of programmers and developers.
Regardless of how highly I respect Apple's "brand and image management", they really do have to leave it up to the advertisers and their agencies to make campaign decisions. They're really stretching their "control (freak?)" nature on this one. Building out great "case-study examples" in the beginning is a good idea.... but eventually they have to let the platform grow without their "fingers in the soup". Too many "fingers"... (and a big FAT middle one!) is why MS can't get an ad out worth watching, unless it's viral on YouTube and being laughed at.
I'm kind of surprised Apple doesn't have an iAd gallery app with all the current iAds ala the Mac advertisement archive on apple.com.
That's an excellent idea so everyone, including future advertisers, etc. know what it is about and even more eyeballs for the advertisers. Win-win all around. Now if they only started approving them ads..!! If... the rumours are to be believed... LOL
Something like:
1. Adidas marketing
2. Commercial agency
3. Software developers
.. and then
4. Apple "publisher", acting like they are 1. marketing.
The moment Apple says "Change this, Change that. Wouldn't it be better to do it this way? Optimize this." it's gonna cost a lot of money down the whole line, with meetings and more work for everybody involved.
But I don't blame Apple either.. I'm sure they just wanna have real high profile customers with top of the line iAds to start with.
I guess nothing would stop competitors to develop cool html5 ads though. So I really don't see what's so special with iAds, technically.. really. Isn't it just an embedded html5 thing?
apple ceo steve jobs was being too much of a control freak.
qft...
That's an excellent idea so everyone, including future advertisers, etc. know what it is about and even more eyeballs for the advertisers. Win-win all around. Now if they only started approving them ads..!! If... the rumours are to be believed... LOL
You want more eyeballs --- then create a completely tasteless ad that will be 100% rejected by the Apple people. CNN will pick up the story and basically every news show in the world will air it --- FOR FREE.
Advertisers have been doing it EVERY single year for Superbowl ad campaigns. They deliberately make commercials that will be rejected by the networks so that they don't have to pay that million dollar 30 second slot.