Apple Shares Mini Film Promoting Upcoming Apple Music Halftime Show Starring Usher

[MacRumors]

Apple is continuing to hype the upcoming Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show that's set to air this weekend, with the company sharing a full mini film for its "Where's Usher?" ad campaign.

Yesterday, Apple shared a small teaser of the skit starring Ludacris, Lil Jon, Taraji P. Henson, and Apple CEO Tim Cook, but today the full 7-minute spot is available to watch on YouTube. Additional stars show up in the longer version, including Wesley Snipes, J Balvin, Anderson .Paak, Blue Man Group, and Criss Angel.

In the promo, the main trio continue their search for Usher in Las Vegas, ultimately locating him doing an impromptu performance in the Caesars Palace fountain.

Usher will headline the Apple Music Halftime Show for Super Bowl LVIII, which takes place at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 11.

Article Link: Apple Shares Mini Film Promoting Upcoming Apple Music Halftime Show Starring Usher

 

[Rychiar]

I don’t even have to watch this to start cringing

 

[ProfessionalFan]

They need to air this entire ad between the first half and the start of the halftime show in lieu of the talking heads recapping the half we just watched.

It'd out-do any Family Guy clip ever for obnoxiously extended cringe.

 

[mattaaron]

That was fun. I'm just here for the negative comments though.

 

[scheinderrob]

apple is the king of cringe

 

[ProfessionalFan]

That was fun. I'm just here for the negative comments though.

You probably enjoyed the Mother Nature skit too though

 

[PowerMac5500]

"Hey Christoph..." 🙈 yeah, I can't watch this.

 

[Naraxus]

This is almost as embarrassing as that asinine Earth Day skit they did.

 

[Hank001]

Thanks for the warning.

 

[PowerMac5500]

When did Apple turn into 90's Microsoft?

 

[ProfessionalFan]

"Hey Christoph..." 🙈 yeah, I can't watch this.

Yeah, that was ludicrous.

 

[PeterMNL]

It's so bad that it's funny...

I love it when people can make fun of themselves. Don't be too serious people

 

[xDENTALPLANx]

I’m surprised Apple allowed an ad that said “text message” and not iMessage 🤔

 

[cateye]

That was fun. I'm just here for the negative comments though.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, genuinely. There's no right or wrong answer here, everyone can have their own reaction. That being said, here's my Hot Take™:

While I don't think it's necessarily fair to criticize any corporation for being "uncool" because nothing they produce is ever going to be as cool or funny or interesting or edgy as what we may expect them to do... but, Apple's latest efforts (this, the Mother Nature sketch, etc.) are just so generic. Like, there's Typical Big Beefy Corporate America Bland, and then there's whatever Apple is up to lately. It's like they're terrified of being anything but painfully mid.

 

[outlawarth]

Remember when there was tangible excitement about Apple and their products? Now it's all kinda meh same old recycled corporate bs.

 

[crsh1976]

apple is the king of cringe

The zero carbon footprint/Mother Earth video for the iPhone 15/Watch Series 9 launch last year is hard to beat in terms of super cringe (despite me absolutely adoring Octavia Spencer), but this new one is up there for sure.

 

[vegetassj4]

They had Wesley Snipes dancing at the end? What a waste. They would have knocked it out the park with Carlton instead.

 

[klasma]

I’m surprised Apple allowed an ad that said “text message” and not iMessage 🤔

Should have said “RCS message” just to confuse people.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Remember when there was tangible excitement about Apple and their products? Now it's all kinda meh same old recycled corporate bs.

I know, right? Not a single news story about the Apple Vision Pro.

 

[cateye]

When did Apple turn into 90's Microsoft?

I would argue there's a difference: No one was ever going to confuse Microsoft with being cool. They were the left-brain nerds to Apple's creative cool. So, for Microsoft to do something super silly and goofy and obviously self-parodying projects an awareness: we can't be cool, so we'll be silly and laugh at ourselves.

Other than the way they goof around with Hair Force One embracing a self-parodying "machismo" persona in some of the keynote videos, Apple's persistent problem is they take themselves way too seriously. Those completely ridiculous Jony Ive videos during product reveals were peak-stupid for Apple's pretense machine, but at least I kind of learned something. This whole ridiculous Where's Usher campaign feels like the product of a PowerPoint presentation, and I suspect everyone within the C-suite at Apple thinks it's just so great.

 

[PowerMac5500]

and I suspect everyone within the C-suite at Apple thinks it's just so great.

"The social media manager is doing a great job, look at how many of our employees have liked the post!"

 

[RodThePlod]

It's so bad that it's funny...

I love it when people can make fun of themselves. Don't be too serious people

I enjoyed it! But… then again, I’m biased as I’ve been to see Usher twice at the O2 in London before lol! Looking forward to seeing the show…

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

Pretty pathetic.

I was waiting for the magic moment to occur, but it never did.

Wasted 7+ minutes of my life.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Where's Usher? 2004 when he was last popular?

 

[PTVMan]

I don’t even have to watch this to start cringing

It's actually quite good.