Briefly: Apple rolls out four new iPhone 5 ads

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple on Friday posted four new ad spots for its iPhone 5, three touting the handset's features and one focusing on the gratis set of EarPods included with every purchase.

While the commercials bring back a product-centric style to Apple's ad style, unlike the widely panned "Genius" campaign, the company's newest video spots are still very lighthearted and may for some lean more towards "kitschy" than "elegant."

The first of the four, titled "Thumb," attempts to explain why Apple chose to use a 4-inch display in the iPhone 5, rather than larger screen sizes seen on a number of Android phones. Here the narrator seems to take a rather snide tone when describing how the new design is a perfect fit for thumb use, a definite departure from Apple's usual understated approach.





Up next is "Cheese," which shows off the new Panorama camera feature that ships with iOS 6. In this case, the narrator actually becomes part of the scene, directing the lineup of children dressed in costume to say an incredibly extended "cheese" as the panoramic photo is taken and processed. Once again, the spot is quite different from previous campaigns.





The final iPhone 5 ad, "Physics," takes a look at the new smartphone's thin design and larger screen. In a very tongue-in-cheek series of questions, the narrator asks "there are laws to physics, right?" and "how can something get bigger, and smaller?"





Apple's last ad focuses on the EarPods introduced alongside the iPhone 5 last week. It starts off extremely casual with the statement, "ears are weird," and goes on to explain how headphones should be "ear-shaped" instead of round "so, you know, they fit in your ears."





How these commercials will be received remains to be seen, but it looks as though Apple is trying to appeal to a wider demographic with the new campaign, a move that could raise the ire of critics accustomed to the company's trademark "classy" ads.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 142
    Thumb is good to explain the screen size but Cheese is cute.
  • Reply 2 of 142


    I think the Cheese one is definitely the best by far, but they are all good except the "Physics" one which comes across almost as a parody to me.  

  • Reply 3 of 142
    The average Android smartphone user has fingers that stretch a lot further than iPhone users. That's why they're so comfortable using 4.8" and larger displays. You ever see the length of the fingers on a chimpanzee?
  • Reply 4 of 142
    So where is the screw up Map ads? LOL.........
  • Reply 5 of 142
    "Physics" is funny lol - the maps app also defies physics with its warping bridges :) I like these adds though, they are well done
  • Reply 6 of 142
    I like them all... But Thumb and Cheese are my favorite..
  • Reply 7 of 142

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Timbit View Post



    "Physics" is funny lol - the maps app also defies physics with its warping bridges image I like these adds though, they are well done


    Yeah I love the "cheese ad" the most! 

  • Reply 8 of 142
    Eh.. I really wish I could like these. I think they're better than the genius ones, but I think they're falling into the same trap. That is, I believe they're trying to be more than they need to be. Again, Apple makes amazing products that sell themselves; all they need to do is show them off, that's it.Trying to be cute is a risk they don't need to take; the attempt to be entertaining distracts from the product, and invariably isolates people who don't have the same sense of humor/cuteness. I like the panorama ad the most as well, although I sympathize most with the thumb one. Now I'm rambling, but.. If it were up to me, I would have done it differently: show a thumb, narrate: "we increased the screen on the iPhone 5 specifically to take advantage of a special tool", then cut to thumb rocking some cool features to catchy music, then tag line: 'it's amazing what one thumb can do'.
  • Reply 9 of 142
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member


    enjoyed those thanks

  • Reply 10 of 142
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member


    Just heard the new ad "ears" coming from a TV in the other room

  • Reply 11 of 142
    Wow! These are horrible in a way that I never thought possible from Apple. Yikes! Apple -- pull these down like the "Genius" batch. I never make comments here -- I think the last time was like 10 years ago -- these adds are so bad so bad I had to figure out my Appleinsider account info to share my disgust. YUCK!
  • Reply 12 of 142

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Timbit View Post



    "Physics" is funny lol - the maps app also defies physics with its warping bridges image I like these adds though, they are well done


     


    I don't know.  A whole advert to trumpet a less than 1.7mm difference in thickness?  It's kind of ridiculous isn't it?  It plays like a bad SNL satire.  


     


    It is smaller and lighter, but instead of focussing on all the dimensions (weight, volume, etc.), they just keep turning it sideways and going "see! ... thinner!!!!"


    Slightly lame if you ask me. 


     


    Love the rest though. 

  • Reply 13 of 142

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by PatchyThePirate View Post



    Eh.. I really wish I could like these. I think they're better than the genius ones, but I think they're falling into the same trap. That is, I believe they're trying to be more than they need to be. Again, Apple makes amazing products that sell themselves; all they need to do is show them off, that's it.Trying to be cute is a risk they don't need to take; the attempt to be entertaining distracts from the product, and invariably isolates people who don't have the same sense of humor/cuteness. I like the panorama ad the most as well, although I sympathize most with the thumb one. Now I'm rambling, but.. If it were up to me, I would have done it differently: show a thumb, narrate: "we increased the screen on the iPhone 5 specifically to take advantage of a special tool", then cut to thumb rocking some cool features to catchy music, then tag line: 'it's amazing what one thumb can do'.


     


     I have no issue with these and had no issue with the Genius ones (other than the issue that they generalized all staff as Geniuses). That's how opinions work.  I can like something and you can not. Just like I can think that your idea is not any better than what they did, but you think it is very much so. 


     


    I'm just surprised that in this day and age of tivo etc they bother with doing 4 ads or even 1. They probably get more attention on blogs like this than they do actually airing 

  • Reply 14 of 142
    I like them. They are much better than the "I am an idiot Mac user" adds. Still a little classy...but edgy. I think it is a good mix.
  • Reply 15 of 142


    I'm not hearing "snide" in the first one at all. It's got a sense of humor about the screen size. Sounded very Apple-y to me, actually.

  • Reply 16 of 142
    natesf wrote: »
    Wow! These are horrible in a way that I never thought possible from Apple. Yikes! Apple -- pull these down like the "Genius" batch. I never make comments here -- I think the last time was like 10 years ago -- these adds are so bad so bad I had to figure out my Appleinsider account info to share my disgust. YUCK!

    lol @ "I never make comments here."
  • Reply 17 of 142


    The physics one is completely stupid... its like they think people are idiots or something.   ... "How can it be bigger and smaller?"  its NOT!!!  its smaller in volume, and bigger in some dimensions and smaller in others... does it even take a 3rd grader to understand 3D space?

  • Reply 18 of 142


    All superb. Pithy, funny, attention-grabbing, and with an attitude


     


    Nice to see Apple getting some mojo/punch back in its advertising.

  • Reply 19 of 142


    Couldn't place the voice at first, but realized its Jeff Daniels.  Will McAvoy is selling iPhones now...

  • Reply 20 of 142

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by PatchyThePirate View Post


    Again, Apple makes amazing products that sell themselves; all they need to do is show them off, that's it.Trying to be cute is a risk they don't need to take; the attempt to be entertaining distracts from the product, and invariably isolates people who don't have the same sense of humor/cuteness. 


    The ads are not geared toward existing Apple users.


     


    They seem to be squarely aimed at intriguing someone who has not tried the iPhone before.

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