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Apple Shares 'Welcome Home' HomePod Ad Directed by Spike Jonze and Starring FKA Twigs

Has anyone else noticed how Apple is consistently over-representing any minority group in all of its adverts, beginning a couple years ago?

This ad does as much to sell the product itself as T-Mobile's superbowl commercial did to sell it's service.
 
alexgowers said:
The middle bit was amazing, truly unique and beautiful and well worth the money and Jonze is a God. However, they should have gotten rid of the bit with the HomePod and sadness. Seriously it's a niche product hardly anyone is interested in but is getting the kind of air time that a new MacBook or Mac Pro should be getting?

I don't get why they are pushing it so hard because Siri is hateful, it's expensive and if you bought a bluetooth speaker in the last 5 years or are vaguely interested in music you already have one.
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We had friends over last week, I was demoing the HomePod to the husband. I've found the perfect demo song in the form of Feel It In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins. HomePod is playing at full volume and the wife is saying that they've already got various speakers etc... and they don't need anymore, and then the drums kicked in, she looked at the HomePod asked "is that music coming from that?", I confirmed it was and she said "well maybe we can get one more speaker then...".
 
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I have to say this ad was visually cool, the song was boring to me. It also did not tell me what the home pod was or why i would want one. So for that i give this an F.
 
ipponrg said:
After watching this clip and if I was just casually watching TV without thinking it was about the HomePod, I'd probably ask at the end, "That was a commercial for what?" First thought would've been Apple Music. It's the same feeling as some of those Superbowl commercials where they tell you how great America is with football/fishermen/cowboys and ends with the Dodge Ram.

In that sense, it captivates me how many people are captivated by this ad.
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Like this SNL parody.

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/westlink/2870495?snl=1
 
MacRumors said:



Apple this evening uploaded a new "Welcome Home" HomePod video to its YouTube channel, which was directed by well-known filmmaker Spike Jonze.

The four minute spot stars singer and dancer FKA Twigs and is set to a new song from Anderson .Paak called "Til It's Over." In the video, FKA Twigs arrives home after a long day and asks HomePod to play something she'd like, which she starts to dance to in a magical realism-style scene.


This is Apple's first longer-form HomePod ad. The company previously shared a series of short 15-second HomePod videos featuring the word "HomePod" animated in various ways, each set to a different song. Apple plans to feature the four minute "Welcome Home" video online, while a shorter cut will be played on television.

Apple's HomePod has been available for purchase since early February, and it's received largely positive reviews when it comes to sound quality, but reactions to Siri have not been quite as favorable. The HomePod can be purchased from Apple's website for $349.

Article Link: Apple Shares 'Welcome Home' HomePod Ad Directed by Spike Jonze and Starring FKA Twigs
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Excellence!

SethBoy said:
Really? All I got was that if I bought a HomePod I'd be sad and lonely with a digital companion as my only friend
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Without even knowing anything about you ... yet from this video and musical peace selected I'd say you really don't know the purpose of music or where it's come from.

If you'll allow me ... "We should make the best of short time we have together, because you'll never be my one and only anyway"

- Music ...

In this busy world we live in today, just like any other time in human existence has always been apart of our souls, our existence.

> From the moment you become a human being, your first heartbeat is a unique rhythm to you, your mothers heartbeat and how that swoons you even before you're born you key into it before the smell of your mother, father.

> When you're happy, sad, angry, in the wildest throws of love (making it, celebrating it, cherishing it, being humbled by it) need that boost of motivation (even today with bodybuilders/cross-fitters using Teacrine) music has always been there, always will be.

One can ask, can people live without:
A home,
Sight,
sense of smell, touch, taste, hearing,
live in the hottest, or coldest regions on Earth,
happiness, Love, sadness, etc.

I believe without music none of the above, nor aspirations, sorrow, or anything humans have been through, or been able to accomplish, nor survive through the worst of our times across history can be done.

This video shows the mundane daily life anyone in a metropolis goes through ... coming home feeling drained and yet re-energized simply with music, and in their most trust place ... their home.

All you got was the HomePod would be a digital assistant that would make you sad? I'm glad we have difference of opinions. I certainly didn't get that the HomePod would improve my life ... I got that if I lived in a small space the HomePod as a speaker could help me listening to music as a way to make that space feel much bigger.

And that is the target market for the HomePod in the very first place. And due to that I feel this is the best Apple commercial in a very VERY long time.
 
Keirasplace said:
WTH are you smoking, "the lonely message" (sic)... Have you actually worked, been on the subway or bus in the evening at the end of the day. Feeling beat happens and wanting a pick me up from listening to music has nothing to do with wishing for a better life from the homepod.

The homepod just sets the atmosphere for self-reflection.
She's litterally picking herself up after a tough day while listening to great music. That's it.

Stop projecting your own delusion and deal with what's actually there.

Who the hell is "saving" for a homepod, people used to spend 3 times that to buy stereos and pairs of speakers (and stopped doing it because it never sounded as good as they hoped), good god, headphones... Man, go shovel your opinions at someone else.
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WTH are you talking about, what relationship, she's telling an appliance to play music and it plays music. The whole focus of this thing is MUSIC, not AI or a virtual assistant (this is not a Siri commercial). Maybe it's time you actually watched it and not "watched" it.
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Probably it could be as you are saying but to me there are a lot of signs about the intentionality of the message, starting from the director's choice: Spike Jonze directer "Her", a movie about a lonely man that falls in love with his AI assistant. The sad girl in the Ad (who is deliberately and clearly sad after a bad day routine) ask to Siri to lift her day up and as the Ad goes on she also gets a double from a mirror suggesting that the AI resemble you as it learns from you within time. A sort of friend, if you want. A best friend as it is like you. Who's your best friend, better than yourself. So it begins as a reflection and then AI takes life moving by itself. They sing togheter, the smile at each other. Then she pushes forward: she mimics a love hug with herself. This time maybe they (Apple and/or Spike Jonze) won't (don't want to... maybe it's prudence? I don't know) push too far and the reflection of her smiles at the gestures as saying to the girl that she's taking it too seriously and then leave her on the sofa. To me, personal opinion of course, it's a clear path underlined: lonely people, this is for you, you can get relief from your sad life through (our) technology. Home Pod is not only a speaker. Is clearly sold as a speaker integrated with AI and Music service and is competing with analog products from other brands who started their campaign selling them as AI companions, like Google's and Amazon's which are sold as "smart speakers".
I don't want to say they should say:"Come on! get outside and have friends!". But you have to be honest: there are thousands of ways to promote a speaker, so it's strange all this is coincidence. This is the message I got and this is the target and the mentality behind it. It's a little bit worrying if you think of the future. You can do better, Apple.
 
Maybe it's time you actually watched it and not "watched" it.
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This exemplifies what is humorous about the whole ad. Certain people here are captivated by how artistic the commercial is. Others (like me) take the commercial as is without giving much thought. I can't remember a time when I'm so deep in thought from watching an ad.
 
Reminds me a bit of the iPhone 5C 'Greetings' ad in that they both have almost nothing to do with the product. The 5C ad could have used any phone in place of it and been exactly the same. In the same sense, the HomePod plays such a small role in this that it could have been just about any other similar product and the ad would remain unchanged.

Kind of sad that the character seems to be genuinely miserable with life. The image is that she works hard and comes home to a lonely little apartment. I imagine more and more people are living this way and are trying to find whatever form of escapism they can. I find it even more sad that they based an ad off this issue, as if 'smart speakers' will make it any better.
 
alexgowers said:
The middle bit was amazing, truly unique and beautiful and well worth the money and Jonze is a God. However, they should have gotten rid of the bit with the HomePod and sadness. Seriously it's a niche product hardly anyone is interested in but is getting the kind of air time that a new MacBook or Mac Pro should be getting?

I don't get why they are pushing it so hard because Siri is hateful, it's expensive and if you bought a bluetooth speaker in the last 5 years or are vaguely interested in music you already have one.

I'm at the point with voice assistants where I ACTIVELY AVOID them AT ALL COSTS! I don't just not like them, I don't buy anything with a voice assistant and prefer to never use or disable them. Cortana anyone?
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Yes, it’s a niche product because who listens to music.

And yes, anyone interested in music already has a speaker, so is there no need for any company to ever make any new kit? Or is Apple a special case, just because?
 
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Regbial said:
Wait a minute you NEED an Apple Music subscription? You can't just play local music from your computer or iPhone? (is it cumbersome to do so??)
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You can play music from anywhere that allows airplay, however “hey Siri” would only work for Apple Music.
I play BBC radio and others, even played music from YouTube.
 
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SethBoy said:
Really? All I got was that if I bought a HomePod I'd be sad and lonely with a digital companion as my only friend
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There’s always someone in the crowd who delights in taking the piss outta something new or beautiful.
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PieTunes said:
That was flat out mesmerizing.
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And all the while effortlessly communicating one of the key features of HomePod, that it has a huge sound that transforms whatever space you have.
 
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I am sending my HomePad back after seeing that commercial...I turned on the same songs she was listening to...and voila!...well not so much so....my walls did not part...I could not dance to the tune...(of course I could not dance before but that is not important). I think this is false advertising!!! Sending it back..unless HomePod can cause me to dance like that!...oh well. I guess I will keep it anyway and see what happens. :)
 
I don't need an ad to spell out how i need a product. thank you Apple for doing a great ad that intelligent people get. I already have an HomePod and I love it. I've had an Echo since the day it was released but the HomePod is really a different product for me.
 
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Watching basketball last night when this ad came on TV. It activated my HomePod and started playing music. Whoops! That was kinda' funny. Reminded me of the SouthPark episode about Alexa....
 
mariana888 said:
You can play music from anywhere that allows airplay, however “hey Siri” would only work for Apple Music.
I play BBC radio and others, even played music from YouTube.
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Awesome. Thank you.

I'm guessing you can use the Remote app on your iPhone to play music from your computer on the HomePod.
 
I'd assume so - we just use the apps and hit the Airplay icon though. Once its playing you can use Siri to change the volume or stop.
 
Regbial said:
Awesome. Thank you.

I'm guessing you can use the Remote app on your iPhone to play music from your computer on the HomePod.
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I haven’t tested it. I never use the remote app, all my music is on Apple Music anyway.

I did play music out of YouTube without issue.
 
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