Apple Relaunches 'Shot on iPhone' Marketing Campaign for iPhone 6s

[kingtj]

Absolutely.... but you're paying for fewer limitations when you upgrade to a more capable camera.
I don't really agree that "shooting in low light" is an edge-case situation? Maybe it is if all you tend to photograph are nature scenes or landscapes by day? But almost everyone I know has situations where they want to take pictures where the light is limited.

A committed or good photographer will recognize the limitations of their cameras. And all cameras have limitations, including high-end dSLRs.

In the end, the strength of a photograph has little to do with the gear that was used to capture it. Sure, there are edge situations; i.e. shooting in low light, shooting professional sports, etc. But those edge cases are not Apple's market.

Compelling photographs originate from the photographer's eye and imagination, and the ability to take what's before the lens and make an image that stirs a viewer's imagination, releasing narrative, that ultimately evokes a connection between photo and viewer.

I've done documentary projects with my iPhone. And with my dSLRs. I really have no preference. They all work fine.

 

[DanielSw]

Because for a company that is, and is viewed, as presenting the most brilliant marketing and advertising campaigns ever it looks lazy. Take Coke, another advertising and marketing standout. Do you see them regurgitating iconic marketing phrases such as "Coke is it," or "Have a Coke and a Smile," etc. No, they are constantly refreshing their ads and campaigns.

It's not the length of the campaign, it's the regurgitating it once its been retired. That is what gives the impressing they are 6s-tuck on finding new angles to sell the model.

It's amazing how some people would rather think, think, think, and complain, complain, complain, instead of simply looking around to find beauty in the world and take photos of some of it with the great camera on the Apple iPhone.

 

[citysnaps]

Absolutely.... but you're paying for fewer limitations when you upgrade to a more capable camera.
I don't really agree that "shooting in low light" is an edge-case situation? Maybe it is if all you tend to photograph are nature scenes or landscapes by day? But almost everyone I know has situations where they want to take pictures where the light is limited.

That's a given, like anything else you purchase; i.e. TVs, cars, homes, etc. You're missing the point of shooting with a phone. It's not about having the best. That's what tech nerds are into and why they generally make boring photos, even though they're sharp and perfectly exposed. Those don't move me as a viewer.

It's about having an instrument that will allow you to create. And having that with you all the time.

Shooting in low light is relative. With my urban photography I shoot in low light, in bars, sketch neighborhoods at night, etc. Yes, my dSLRs are better. But again, it's not having the best gear that makes a compelling photo. My low light shooting is maybe 5%. I'd much rather have a camera that's with me all the time for the 95% situations than having a bulky one I need to drag around all the time with extraordinary low-light capability for the 5% night situations.

If you're shooting 80% low light material, that's different. But that is not Apple's market.

 

[FieldingMellish]

it's really the "shot on iPhone under ideal lighting conditions" campaign.

 

[HenryDJP]

Why is it narrow minded to want to see features advertised? I want to see features advertised that my current iPhone camera has.

"Narrow-minded" could possibly be the incorrect term used. My bad. My point is you're only thinking of your own needs and your point is basically saying, "I" already know that "My" iPhone has a good camera.

The iPhone camera ad is very necessary because outside of using the iPhone as a "phone" many people use their cellular phones to take pictures. But there are still many more who will buy a point and shoot thinking the iPhone may not be capable of taking great pics.

Just like today's 35mm DSLR's. They have a lot of great features, but if the image quality isn't there then even a great photographer can't make them better.

The point is to show the quality of the pictures first (which is what Apple is doing in the ad) then the consumer can see all the rest of the features when they use the camera. TMI can confuse ads. Keeping it basic sells.

 

[jamezr]

"Narrow-minded" could possibly be the incorrect term used. My bad. My point is you're only thinking of your own needs and your point is basically saying, "I" already know that "My" iPhone has a good camera.

The iPhone camera ad is very necessary because outside of using the iPhone as a "phone" many people use their cellular phones to take pictures. But there are still many more who will buy a point and shoot thinking the iPhone may not be capable of taking great pics.

Just like today's 35mm DSLR's. They have a lot of great features, but if the image quality isn't there then even a great photographer can't make them better.

The point is to show the quality of the pictures first (which is what Apple is doing in the ad) then the consumer can see all the rest of the features when they use the camera. TMI can confuse ads. Keeping it basic sells.

Well i think everyone wants to see the features their iphone has. Maybe something they can do to take better pictures. Maybe displaying slo mo mode i don't know..... anything. But to me just saying "taken with an iphone" is pretty useless.
It doesn't tell me anything about the picture in the advertisement. What separates it from any other shot taken with any other camera on a smartphone?

 

[npmacuser5]

My takeaway. people who use Apple iPhones use them for more the selfies. If you want to join this exclusive club you need an iPhone. Why buy luxury anything, want to be part of the exclusive club. The exclusive club is within reach for many. Cleaver hidden message by smart marketing folks at Apple.

 

[MizuNoHane]

If you're shooting 80% low light material, that's different. But that is not Apple's market.

I respectfully disagree with you - tons of young people use smartphones to take almost exclusively nighttime photos, whether they be at bars, clubs, or indoors at parties and dinners (for the upper-20s/30s crowd). Low light is incredibly important for a smartphone camera for a huge swath of the population and it becomes really apparent when most of the photos on Facebook are pixelated, muddy dimly lit shots.

Apple has no doubt caught on to this and are trying to tell the general population that their photos of everyday people and things will look great with a new iPhone.

 

[citysnaps]

"Narrow-minded" could possibly be the incorrect term used. My bad. My point is you're only thinking of your own needs and your point is basically saying, "I" already know that "My" iPhone has a good camera.

The iPhone camera ad is very necessary because outside of using the iPhone as a "phone" many people use their cellular phones to take pictures. But there are still many more who will buy a point and shoot thinking the iPhone may not be capable of taking great pics.

Just like today's 35mm DSLR's. They have a lot of great features, but if the image quality isn't there then even a great photographer can't make them better.

The point is to show the quality of the pictures first (which is what Apple is doing in the ad) then the consumer can see all the rest of the features when they use the camera. TMI can confuse ads. Keeping it basic sells.

It's difficult to find a 35mm dSLR or even a point-n-shoot that has poor image quality. Frankly, I'm not aware of any. A great photo does not come from great image quality. Compelling photographs that evoke a response with a viewer come from the photographer, his/her eye, imagination, and skill.

 

[HenryDJP]

Well i think everyone wants to see the features their iphone has. Maybe something they can do to take better pictures. Maybe displaying slo mo mode i don't know..... anything. But to me just saying "taken with an iphone" is pretty useless.
It doesn't tell me anything about the picture in the advertisement. What separates it from any other shot taken with any other camera on a smartphone?

You're mentioning slo-mo. I thought this ad was about photos, not video recording. Don't take this as a shot against you per say, but it just sounds like you want to see an ad that shows features of your iPhone camera that you already know exist. That tends to fall in line with "I wanna feel good about my purchase". I'm 99% certain that you know everything your iPhone camera is capable of. While ads are "partly" for entertainment purposes, they are truly for getting the consumer to buy the product or to push the brand name into the consumer's head.

Instagram can even do post production such as changing color saturation, vignetting and such. Showing slo-mo- (while for video) isn't a big deal as it can be done in iMovie post. PQ must come first. Showing camera parlor tricks won't excite people enough to buy an iPhone, as much as you may feel it would.

 

[jamezr]

Ok...so we disagree and slow mo wasn't a good example. But they do also have a spot where it shows videos taken with an iphone.
true that I might know what my iphone camera can do. But that doesn't mean the rest of the commercial viewing public does......

 

[Bawstun]

The camera on the 6S sucks, at least in comparison to the newest Samsung models. It's a shame - IMO never before has the iPhone camera been beaten, at least without argument (again, my opinion, I've searched and searched and compared images from both devices for HOURS on end...)

That said, I do love the campaign. Anything that promotes photography and the arts is great.

 

[HenryDJP]

It's difficult to find a 35mm dSLR or even a point-n-shoot that has poor image quality. Frankly, I'm not aware of any. A great photo does not come from great image quality. Compelling photographs that evoke a response with a viewer come from the photographer, his/her eye, imagination, and skill.

Right, but we're talking about an iPhone. Not exactly the product that a professional photographer would buy to use primarily for his craft. My DSLR example was just that, an example. And I am very much into photography as I just bought a new 35mm DSLR. PQ can very greatly between cameras. Dynamic Range plays a big part. Some DSLR's have no low pass filter for a sharper picture. Other models are not as capable of shooting in lower light as others which produces more noise. These are things that are not necessarily repairable in post. While you're right, it greatly depends on the photographer, but we're talking about the iPhone camera ad. It's not geared towards seasoned photographers.

Heck, I would only use my iPhone 6 Plus for either outdoor shots or very brightly lit indoor shots. It sucks for low light shooting and the flash is crap, IMO. That's why for me, I need a DSLR. For most other weekend or vacation shooters an iPhone camera would be great.

 

[69Mustang]

Well i think everyone wants to see the features their iphone has. Maybe something they can do to take better pictures. Maybe displaying slo mo mode i don't know..... anything. But to me just saying "taken with an iphone" is pretty useless.
It doesn't tell me anything about the picture in the advertisement. What separates it from any other shot taken with any other camera on a smartphone?

This is a print campaign. That's the point you seem to be ignoring. It's not a 30 sec or 1 min video. The point is to convey the message in the most "impactful" way possible using the medium. No one's going to take the time to read a spec sheet on a billboard. You want to take beautiful pictures? This is what an iPhone can do. That's all it says. That's all it's meant to say. The ads aren't a treatise on photography or report on the state of smartphone camera capability. They are designed to sell iPhones.

They may feature videos in a related campaign. Regardless, it's immaterial to this print campaign.

 

[citysnaps]

I respectfully disagree with you - tons of young people use smartphones to take almost exclusively nighttime photos, whether they be at bars, clubs, or indoors at parties and dinners (for the upper-20s/30s crowd). Low light is incredibly important for a smartphone camera for a huge swath of the population and it becomes really apparent when most of the photos on Facebook are pixelated, muddy dimly lit shots.

Apple has no doubt caught on to this and are trying to tell the general population that their photos of everyday people and things will look great with a new iPhone.

No, not even close. Look at flickr, Instagram, Facebook, etc. The overwhelming majority of photos are not low light. Some are of course. Generally not 80% of a photographer's photo stream, or 80% of the people who make photos with their phone. But Apple's market and what they focus on is not the "some," but rather the majority. They hit the sweet spot.

If your photography is about shooting exclusively at night, or even 80% of the time, a phone camera is the wrong tool. That's a given.

 

[Popeye206]

And here I thought it was just a campaign to get people to buy an iPhone by showing off beautiful pictures others have taken with an iPhone.

Seems like lots of over analyzation going here.

 

[winston1236]

They should improve low light images, then they can show off how great their camera is...

That applies to nearly every camera phone and digital camera. On a separate note I hope that the photographers were paid for use of their images.

 

[Rogifan]

I think the cow is getting a little low from all the milking Apple has been doing on this campaign...

Huh? This is only the second campaign. Mac vs PC ran for several years.

 

[citysnaps]

Right, but we're talking about an iPhone. Not exactly the product that a professional photographer would buy to use primarily for his craft. My DSLR example was just that, an example. And I am very much into photography as I just bought a new 35mm DSLR. PQ can very greatly between cameras. Dynamic Range plays a big part. Some DSLR's have no low pass filter for a sharper picture. Other models are not as capable of shooting in lower light as others which produces more noise. These are things that are not necessarily repairable in post. While you're right, it greatly depends on the photographer, but we're talking about the iPhone camera ad. It's not geared towards seasoned photographers.

Heck, I would only use my iPhone 6 Plus for either outdoor shots or very brightly lit indoor shots. It sucks for low light shooting and the flash is crap, IMO. That's why for me, I need a DSLR. For most other weekend or vacation shooters an iPhone camera would be great.

Right, and Apple's market is not professional photographers. Rather, people who like to make photos of their friends/family and what's happening in their life. Usually to post on flickr, IG, and FB. And that's great, nothing wrong with that.

What you're saying above about differences in dSLRs is a given. Still, that rarely drives what makes a compelling photograph; i.e. one that stirs a viewers imagination with the power to release narrative.

If one's photography is about having "the best" gear, and it is for many looking at the photography forums, knock yourself out. On internet forums, in general, I've found little positive correlation between photographers searching/having the best gear, and them making compelling photographs.

 

[pacalis]

I too think this campaign is brilliand and like it, it has more to do with art than specs.

It is flattering the customer rather than focusing on the poor performance of the camera.

 

[LordVic]

Despite whatever anyone wants to say about the Camera itself, The campaign works due to its simplicity and image. And it's a good campaign.

there's no "feature list", or "MHZ battle". it's simple. It's telling people "Look, we have great photos". When a simple user, who doesn't know a Megahertz from a Megabyte, or a pixel from 4GLTE-doohicky. They just know they want to take photos, and hey, the photos in the commercials look good.

So when they go to buy a phone, Apple is on their mind. Voila, Marketing campaign success. In their minds, they equate the iPhone with the high quality photos that they see on the commercials/billboards.

And lets be frank. there's nothing wrong with the iPhone camera. it is one of the best in smartphones. if you're looking for a good point and shoot camera in your phone, you won't go wrong with an iPhone.

 

[pacalis]

What are some of YOUR ideas that you could pass on?

Easy.

Put a better image sensor in the iPhone and advertise that.

OR

Put a Retina display in the Mac Book air and advertise that.

OR

Put a out a retina display to match the Mac and advertise that.

 

[HenryDJP]

That applies to nearly every camera phone and digital camera. On a separate note I hope that the photographers were paid for use of their images.

And why is that important to you if they were paid or not?

 

[citysnaps]

Easy.

Put a better image sensor in the iPhone and advertise that.

OR

Put a Retina display in the Mac Book air and advertise that.

OR

Put a out a retina display to match the Mac and advertise that.

OK, which image sensor do you have in mind? BTW, there was an improved image sensor on the iPhone 6s/6s+. And by all indications the iPhone 7's image sensor will see a substantial improvement. Maybe you're suggesting Apple should release an interim model, the iPhone 6ss, before the iPhone 7?

On the MBA retina display. What compromises are you willing to live with as the display takes much more battery power. Will you be OK with a much shorter battery life? Or maybe a slower cpu? Or make the MBA larger to accommodate a larger battery? Nothing comes for free. Perhaps you missed that Apple recently released the Mac Book Retina? Or the possibility Apple could be sunsetting the MBA, changing their product lineup?

 

[HenryDJP]

Easy.

Put a better image sensor in the iPhone and advertise that.

OR

Put a Retina display in the Mac Book air and advertise that.

OR

Put a out a retina display to match the Mac and advertise that.

Easy.

Put a better image sensor in the iPhone and advertise that.

OR

Put a Retina display in the Mac Book air and advertise that.

OR

Put a out a retina display to match the Mac and advertise that.

I most certainly would love to see how you would pull that off trying to advertise a retina display? It would require a great deal of exaggeration in the ad in order to convey the message. Let's face it, the average consumer doesn't give a rat's behind about a retina display. Only Apple's enthusiast customers (who represent a very small minority) even care about that.