Stop the madness: Do we REALLY care if there are 3 new iPhone commercials?
I’ve mentioned before how even as an admitted Apple Fanboy I have become somewhat disgusted by the amount of press coverage the iPhone receives, but this is really just getting silly.
It is now over 4 months since the iPhone’s launch, and the fact that Apple has released 3 new iPhone commercials has somehow made it to the front of almost every Mac news site of note. In fact, ironically they have now made it to the front of Macenstein, thus getting even more press due to the fact that I am annoyed they are any getting press at all.
Now, I do understand that these 3 new commercials are arguably the worst 3 Apple has ever made, so perhaps the “news” here is just how easy it is to make fun of the people in them, or perhaps it’s that Apple has once again managed to spend only $4.99 on advertising, but seriously, are they worth reporting on?
I realize that things have been a little quiet in the Mac-news world (why else would we have created our 6 Degrees of Steve game?), so the reservoir of genuine Apple-related stories is running a bit low, but really… reporting that there are new commercials for the one product everyone who would be interested in knowing anything about already knows everything they want to know about? And the 3 features mentioned in the ads – Internet, visual voicemail, and 3 devices in one – are the 3 main points outlined over 9 months ago at last year’s MacWorld iPhone introduction. How about a commercial introducing the Wi-Fi store, or, dare I say it, some NEW features?
Apple would do better to release 3 commercials for OS X – to my mind both their single greatest achievement and their least publicized. If you grabbed 100 people off the street, and asked them was OS X was, I doubt even the standard Apple market share of 5% of respondents would know what you are talking about. But ask those same people what Vista is, and unanimously they will all tell you it is the worst operating system out there. Say what you will, Microsoft knows how to publicize.
Now, I’m sure if I was super into Tickle Me Elmo, and cruised the Tickle Me Elmo forums daily looking for news, I would see mention of the latest “Farting Elmo” commercial, so perhaps it shouldn’t surprise me too much to see such coverage. But these latest ads are completely Bündchen-less pieces of pretentious, psuedo “everyman” profiles devoid of humor, creativity, or (let’s be honest) Gisele Bündchen. These are the commercials TiVo was invented for, so please, stop the madness people.
At least now you know to be on the lookout for some youtube parodies. Maybe some people standing in front of black backgrounds discussing the features of their bricked iphones. So far it looks like only the originals have been posted.
Doc, you are way off base.
Do you realize you just said that Apple could learn somethings from Microsoft about how to publicize their product. Are you nuts?
1. Is it worth reporting that Apple has new commercials for the iPhone? I have no idea.
2. Are the commercials any good? I think the commercials are great. Most people have now heard of the iPhone but have NO idea how different the user experience is on the iPhone compared to every other phone. Apple came to the (incredibly smart) decision that the best way to increase the likelihood of people buying iPhones was to show the product in action. I know it’s crazy not to have a scantily clad woman, 30 year rock anthem playing or hint how the product will make you a better person. These new TV ads reinforce (or reintroduce) the iPhones strengths.
3. Should Apple advertise OS X. I don’t think so. Apple may launch TV ads when Leopard comes out. I think Apple understands that while OS X is the foundation for what makes their computers (and iPods / iPhones) so great, it is a very difficult job to create advertisements for operating systems. Apple has taken the (smarter) path to advertise their computer systems rather than the OS.
4. Microsoft. Microsoft has spent a fortune on countless ridiculously bad advertisements that it is a wonder that you point them out as a company Apple could learn from. Do you remember the Microsoft Office ads (magazine) that showed people as Dinosaurs? HORRIBLE! There is one good Microsoft ad that I can recall and it is recent – the Halo 3 ad with the guy holding the pulsating orb.
Apple is world class when it comes to publicity / advertising. Watch & Learn.
Disclosure: I own Apple stock (up $6.46 today)
Yeah, you’re right … *sigh* : / I was to euphoric this morning and did it too …
Well, may be you’re right, but think, maybe that Apple, with the activation and so on has all the data about who is buying the iPhone.
May be this TV ads are simply for the kind of people whom isn’t buying it, and Apple probably know who they are. =)