iPod & Mac Advertising

**ScottW** · #1 November 21st, 2004, 08:18 PM

You know...

I like the current iPod commercials and the U2 one is good as well. My beef with Apple is SHOW the iPod... I mean, Apple spends LOTS of time and money on making a beautiful peice of artwork, why not show it off? Why not at least do a quick 360 of it in the last 3 seconds of the commercial?

Why not show the U2 iPod on the U2 iPod commercials?

Why does Apple insist on NOT showing it's products on the TV. Maybe the idea is to get people to the store to see them... I don't know.

I'd like to see a "feel good" Apple ad... for whatever product they want to market. Something that has the camera fading away from a picture of a family surrounding their TV looking at a slide show with their iPod photo.

??

symphonix · #2 November 21st, 2004, 08:41 PM

Comparing the current batch of iPod ads to the original "One thousand songs, in your pocket" TV ad from the launch of the iPod a few years ago, a few things are significantly different.
- The new ad places less emphasis on what the device is and how it can function.
- The new ad uses a bare minimum of actual words. In fact, the only words in the current TV ad are "Vetigo by U2. iPod + iTunes... (Apple logo, www.apple.com)". I suspect this means it can reach a wider audience who speak a wider range of languages.
- The new ads are much more eye catching and fit in with a consistent look to poster and billboard advertising.
- The new ads are MUCH more effective than the original ad.

I think the critical difference in the approach here is that it catches people's attention, then directs them to the website to learn more. This is also good because the iPod is a rapidly evolving product line available in several flavours (Mini, U2, 20GB, 40GB, 40GB Photo, 60GB Photo) each with their own qualities. In the near future, we will most likely see more variants on the iPod line, more "Special Edition" collectable models, and so on. To try and show the appearance of the iPod and a "...family surrounding their TV looking at a slide show with their iPod photo." in a 15 second TV spot would simply detract from the efficiency of the ad.

smithy · #3 November 23rd, 2004, 01:12 AM

I think the simple silheotte ads are just to basically show apple's style. Think about it as if ms could create stuff that apple have done, honestly ms is just a bunch of nerds sitting at a computer all day. However apple on the other hand know what the consumer wants and thats how they create these amazing products that we own today. Man i really would wish that apple would show off the new imac more and stop showing off the ipod. Everyone knows what an ipod is otherwise they've just been living under a rock for the last 2 years. Maybe apple should create an ad that shows every dekstop product as well as showing off OSX. I think apple should really try to get the point accross that OSX is better than windows.

LovesMacs · #4 August 26th, 2005, 02:11 AM

Scott!

If it makes you feel any better, everytime I go across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco there are iPod billboards on every corner! And on the freeways, they are strategically set up. Drive up I-80 northbound in the east bay towards Emeryville, and there's an iPod billboard silhouette almost pointing to the the Bay Street Apple Store. Same thing in San Francisco. There's even an iPod billboard on one of the news cams here LOL. I don't think Mr. Jobs had anything to do with that one. ;-)
Also, next time you are near a magazine rack, look at InStyle/Glamour/Vogue etc., there have been multipage ads for iPods in almost every issue for several years. As for the TV ads, we just have local broadcast but we still see the iTunes ads, so I do hear you on that point. I'm thinking since they have so much in the way of advertising out there, the TV audience in advertising budgets just doesn't pay off??

Carolyn :-)

**fryke** · #5 August 26th, 2005, 06:40 AM

But those ads you're talking about don't really show the device, either, right?

sirstaunch · #6 August 26th, 2005, 01:59 PM

We don't get the adds in Australia, no Apple, no iPod adds. Think we need em though.... I've only heard of two iPod users in my town of 98,000 people or so....

LovesMacs · #7 August 26th, 2005, 09:14 PM

<But those ads you're talking about don't really show the device, either, right?>

Some do, some don't, but this being Apple country, the ads speak for themselves :-) Some show the black silhouette with a white iPod. All the ads show an iPod with the ear buds and cable with the remote control. I'm afraid if Apple puts up an animated billboard it would literally stop traffic.

Carolyn :-)

Veljo · #8 August 31st, 2005, 03:33 AM

In my almost 20 years of living, I have NEVER seen an Apple ad on TV. Maybe Apple should actually advertise in Australia.