Apple Releases New iPhone Ad: 'Dilemmas'

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/11/04/apple-releases-new-iphone-ad-dilemmas/)


http://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/11/04/010012-dilemmas_300.png

Apple has posted a new iPhone commercial, 'Dilemmas', to their ad gallery (http://www.apple.com/iphone/gallery/ads/). The commercial focuses on Urbanspoon [App Store (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284708449&mt=8)], which provides information, ratings and reviews on restaurants. In particular, the ad highlights the application's "slot machine" function, in which a user can shake their iPhone to allow Urbanspoon to make restaurant recommendations.

Urbanspoon was previously profiled (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/07/19/urbanspoon-finds-you-a-place-to-eat/) on our iPhone blog.

Article Link: Apple Releases New iPhone Ad: 'Dilemmas' (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/11/04/apple-releases-new-iphone-ad-dilemmas/)

[superstrikertwo]

Just saw it during CSI: Miami.

[JackSYi]

Just saw it during CSI: Miami.

I love this app, finding where and what to eat is a big headache, but with Urbanspoon I can find a restaurant and map it right on my iPhone.

[mattrobs]

Not the prettiest looking app! :)

[bosox3125]

did anyone else notice that it now says "sequence shortened"? might hold true for ads demoing 3G speeds...

[happydude]

i use this app occasionally. works well and is a fun way to impress non-iphone people when we can't decide where to go for dinner. not sure it should have been the focus of a commercial though, there's better apps out there.

[justflie]

did anyone else notice that it now says "sequence shortened"? might hold true for ads demoing 3G speeds...

Nah. I think it's just so they could speed up the speed of the rolling wheels in Urbanspoon. They usually take longer to spin.

*EDIT* Also, they cut down/out the app startup time/looking for a location prior to bringing up the wheels.

[Small White Car]

not sure it should have been the focus of a commercial though, there's better apps out there.

No, it's a fantastic ad! How many other cell phones have programs using funky animation like that? Not too many. It's really got nothing to do with Urban Spoon's usefullness and everything to do with the graphics. To an iPhone user that's not too amazing, but it will catch a lot of attention from people who use phones with mostly text-based interfaces.

And a note on Urban Spoon...I rarely use it to look up places, but I LOVE to use it as an archive of places I've been. I travel a lot and am often taken to nice dinners by clients. I'll rate it a "thumbs up" in Urban Spoon and it gets put on my favorites list. Then, the next time I'm in Tampa (for example) I can find the place "that I ate at last year and really liked." I usually used to just tell stories about "that place I ate" without being able to return because I never bothered to write the name down before. So, nothing to do with the ad, but I love Urban Spoon for this reason alone.

[sfh]

it's just one of those "wow, your phone can do that" aps that takes a common problem and offers a simple solution for. I think it's a great app slow to start up though

[crisss1205]

I saw this ad earlier this weekend, now they find it. Saw it about 3 times now.

[domness]

It's a great app no doubt, but when not many restaurants are added for certain areas, the whole point of the app can go right out of the window.

[Doctor Q]

I just use Free Joker's Wild to play a slot machine, see how much virtual money I can make, then pick a restaurant I already know based on how rich I feel. :)

[Kilamite]

I've always wondered if Apple gives any money to the developers for using their software in their ads?

[IgnatiusTheKing]

I've always wondered if Apple gives any money to the developers for using their software in their ads?

Seems more likely that the developers would try to pay Apple to use their apps in the ads. I think being in an Apple commercial is the #1 way to get downloaded zillions of times.

[Kilamite]

Seems more likely that the developers would try to pay Apple to use their apps in the ads. I think being in an Apple commercial is the #1 way to get downloaded zillions of times.

If the app's are free, then it wouldn't matter. Considering that Apple is using this app as a major selling point for the iPhone, I'd expect them to send some money the developer's way.

[ZiggyPastorius]

This commercial is perfect. These kinds of things are exactly why I love the iPhone so much. Not "finding a place to eat per se," but just the cool-factor and the simplicity of something like that. Touch a button, shake the phone, and you've got a place to eat, from there, just press another button to make the call to the place. Brilliant.

[IgnatiusTheKing]

If the app's are free, then it wouldn't matter. Considering that Apple is using this app as a major selling point for the iPhone, I'd expect them to send some money the developer's way.

A lot of apps are only free because the include advertising or drive users to sites where they can purchase things.

[queshy]

lol...sequence shortened...

[elppa]

“Solving life's dilemmas, one app at a time”

would have made more sense to me to be:

“Solving life's dilemmas, one shake at a time”

I love the music they use, I can't sit still when listening to it!

[bobfitz14]

did anyone else notice that it now says "sequence shortened"? might hold true for ads demoing 3G speeds...

i noticed the Sequence Shortened thing too. i don't have an iPhone so i wouldn't know how much of a time lapse they actually did, but it's sneaky how Apple made the font a couple shades off of white when it has a white background.

[mr-macintosh]

wait Aplle has an add about solving dilemas hahaha what about solving the dilema of MMS or copy and paste or landscape text in SMS or any of the other "dilemas" apple didnt fix but hey, at least you can find a place to eat by shaking your phone right?

I have an iPhone BTW

[Kilamite]

wait Aplle has an add about solving dilemas hahaha what about solving the dilema of MMS or copy and paste or landscape text in SMS or any of the other "dilemas" apple didnt fix but hey, at least you can find a place to eat by shaking your phone right?

You do realise Apple didn't write that app? You can't moan about Apple not providing MMS or copy and paste and then compare that to a 3rd party app that allows you to find a place by shaking your phone..

[Luvinia Krista]

When does the new version of the apple iPhone come out? I haven't been able to track down an exact date. Also, are there any phones out there that are like the apple iPhone? I've heard of the LG voyager, but would like more options.

[lostprophet894]

I saw this ad earlier this weekend, now they find it. Saw it about 3 times now.

Wow. You're SO awesome. :eek:

Maybe this says something about your TV habits.