ads Apple could love only Samsung

  The "1984" Super Bowl spot, as his black and dystopian view Big Brother Big Blue has had the most famous commercial ever made. This bit 60 seconds film by Ridley Scott (now Sir Ridley) - director of our time, with films such as The Duellists, Alien, and my favorite, Blade Runner - was and is still fascinating. Following the announcement for the first time in autumn 1983 Apple Sales Meeting was shown in Honolulu audience sat stunned silence ... for about 3 seconds.

When Steve Jobs started Apple in 1997, he needed a battle cry ... and he found a still resonates: Think Different. Richard Dreyfuss reported the campaign "fools" voiced commercial, but there is another, never broadcast version jobs always moves me to tears. (Last year, on the occasion of the loss of a job, "AdWeek published the famous shopping street and spliced ​​into a picture of the smiling young Steve at the end, just after the image of the child who opens his eyes.)

Then there's the long and beloved, "I'm a Mac, a PC You" series with John Hodgman and Justin Long (access the link gives you access to all 66 TV this historic campaign discovered) it. is more than nice, it's a great example of a classic long-lived (a polite way to say, apparently "unoriginal") strategy. We v Them ads are brilliant, consistent, properly executed with simple, visual and non-loaded with a secret, quiet humor. A joy.

From time to time, Apple define the commercial rate target, missed in the PowerMac G4. Offers the tanks of the U.S. Army Sergeant Voice-over But missteps were few, is thought through the Apple advertising generally good and well done. Good ideas, near-perfect execution.

This brings us to today. A good idea, poorly executed, and the excellent execution of a disturbing concept: In recent months, Apple has released a series of ads that fall into two categories.

First, we have the "genius" ads. The Apple Store geniuses, no doubt, to the best technical support in the industry, the main products of the company for the best results in customer satisfaction surveys. An advertising campaign that promotes the benefits while subtle mockery of immodesty "Genius" designation should be a straight shot. The idea lends itself to a series of humorous vignettes ends by a client, a new show on the road, a CEO in need of the effort saved, and so relieved.

But in practice, as you can see for yourself here, here, and here the ads. The idea is earned through stories forced and too sweet, the message is far from clear that we ruined feel expect Apple marketing campaigns ... and they're just not funny. Similarly, the production seems rushed and cheap to problems of continuity: A genius to sleep, dressed in his official blue T-shirt, was awakened by a sudden panic at the door and is a fraction of a second later .. . with its badge-cum-business card holders now draped around the neck.

The ads were swung wide, and soon ripped happy.

In the category of most of the problems we. Siri commercials with celebrities Zooey Deschanel, Samuel L. Jackson, John Malkovich and Martin Scorsese You are intelligent and well-produced, they are imitated flattering - and Samsung have to love it.

Why?

Because they are perishable: dilute the focus, they interfere with Apple products celebrity "well earned and well deserved clean.

A comparison and a model, consider the Louis Vuitton series of commercials by the great photographer Annie Leibovitz produced. What, or rather who do you see? Sean Connery, Catherine Deneuve, Mikhail Gorbachev, Roger Federer, Keith Richards, Muhammad Ali ...

The message is cynical, but clear: our case is not better than Gucci or Hermes, but if our logo sport, you'll have something in common with the iconic athletes, artists and intellectuals. You too can be like Mikhail Gorbachev or Michael Phelps ... even if only in our facilities. (The campaign Annie Leibovitz is pompous as "core values" - or, as the list of topics that honesty is unconscious?).

There is a plan well thought out and executed. Louis Vuitton is a smart, well run company at the top of his form. But what does it say about the iPhone when Apple considers it as Louis Vuitton tactics used to lure consumers?

To the campaign celebrity Siri, Apple's products have always been at the heart of Apple's marketing. The product is the hero, the ad does what he extolls and how he does it. The use of celebrities to send a new message: The product is not strong enough, he needs the vicinity of the famous. And that message is even more dangerous because the ads are so smooth, so well executed. (The Scorsese even a gentle visual joke, until 1976, the director of the film Taxi Driver relates. A nice gesture ... but it has nothing to do with Apple.)

That's why to smile Samsung is another reason when Ms. Deschanel dance in his pajamas, and so these ads should be pulled out and should have seen why the strategy of celebrities - a first for Apple, if I remember correctly - should be reconsidered be.

And at the risk of piling on, it is the product to be promoted: Siri.

No doubt this will work for some people, but how?

As can be after a few tries?

Recently, I have an Apple insider that same question. The single thought for a moment, but could not remember having seen a colleague use Siri.

There is a difference between a beta product, such as a table with the pesky bugs, but quite well defined - and beta as Siri that "kind of work" and deters some users, while pleasing others.

I have no doubt that Apple's long-term ambitions for Siri, plans that may occur in the time and make Siri as versatile and reliable as features of the iPhone and other applications could be expected. But for the moment, in addition to their low Vuitton as the use of celebrities, slick ads Siri could be regarded as misleading. Another reason to bury.

As the campaign Genius: Fire Agency, but keep the concept. Press the reset button and hold the message, write ads. The idea has the potential for a range of effective advertising and fun.