Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor's Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt

[MacRumors]

Photos have been making the rounds on Chinese social media today showing an Honor-branded advertising truck parked directly in front of Apple Canton Road store in Hong Kong, promoting the company's new Honor 600 series smartphone.

The truck's ad features the slogan "It's our HONOR" alongside the phrase "orange to orange," which appears to be a play on the English idiom "apples to apples" – referring to a like-for-like comparison. The slogan is paired with an image of the Honor phone, in a finish that bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro's Cosmic Orange.

It's a brazen stunt for a brand that spun off from Huawei in 2020 before being sold off to another entity to bypass U.S. sanctions. Using Apple's retail store as a backdrop to pitch your rival device with a similar color is one thing, but when the design is arguably a shameless copy, you're definitely out of ideas.

Apple is unlikely to make a big stink about such guerrilla marketing, as it would only amplify it. And as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Article Link: Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor's Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt

 

[Shalev Lazarof]

Another soulless brand, stinky core values right there.

 

[WilliamG]

And why would anyone ever want to copy the iPhone “plateau”? Giving it such a name doesn’t make it any less ugly, and it’s the worst part of my iPhone 17 Pro Max. This huge lumpy back area which serves no purpose being so large and exposed.

 

[The_Gream]

Hey Macrumors, if your going to use that quote, at least use the whole thing

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”

 

[ikramerica]

Hey Macrumors, if your going to use that quote, at least use the whole thing

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”

Never heard the full quote but infinitely more meaningful.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Is the vehicle not parked in an illegal spot, and/or a spot that Apple controls? I'd think Apple would just quietly contact the authorities to have it towed... I don't think that counts as making "a big stink" or increases coverage of it.

 

[WilliApple]

Honestly I thought that was the iPhone 17 Pro until looking closer.
Im guessing the average consumer will also think that its an iPhone 17 Pro truck lol and not a different brand

 

[jonfarr]

China gonna China.

 

[capamac]

The plateau is indeed a bad idea. The iPhone 4 and 5 had the best camera ... single camera, flush with back. That's how you do it. Don't need wide and telephoto and all that. Just the standard small camera is fine.

 

[will_henderson]

Seems small minded to say this company is out of ideas, given that they just came up with a pretty clever viral marketing campaign.

Whereas Apple’s big idea was to make an iPhone in orange, which is currently the trendiest color in China. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[neuropsychguy]

Hey Macrumors, if your going to use that quote, at least use the whole thing

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”

To be fair, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" (and/or closely related phrasing) is the original quote/thought. The one you shared is a later version, attributed incorrectly to Oscar Wilde: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/01/no...lattery-that-mediocrity-can-pay-to-greatness/

Both are good.

 

[TTTedP]

Another soulless brand, stinky core values right there buddy.

and naming the company Honor no less.

 

[sw1tcher]

Using Apple's retail store as a backdrop to pitch your rival device with a similar color is one thing, but when the design is arguably a shameless copy, you're definitely out of ideas.

You cannot fault Honor for thinking how great the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max design is. That's why they stole it.

"Picasso had a saying -- 'good artists copy; great artists steal' -- and we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas"?

 

[aevan]

And why would anyone ever want to copy the iPhone “plateau”? Giving it such a name doesn’t make it any less ugly, and it’s the worst part of my iPhone 17 Pro Max. This huge lumpy back area which serves no purpose being so large and exposed.

"This design decision serves no purpose"
- a dude on the Internet.

Someone should let Apple engineers know.

 

[ab2c4]

I think that is pretty clever and funny, good for them.

 

[The_Gream]

To be fair, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" (and/or closely related phrasing) is the original quote/thought. The one you shared is a later version, attributed incorrectly to Oscar Wilde: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/01/no...lattery-that-mediocrity-can-pay-to-greatness/

Well, I still like the long version I posted more. Has more, sting/spice!

AFAIK, they don’t know who even said the short version first do they? Though it doesn’t really matter, as it rings true regardless.

 

[Shalev Lazarof]

You cannot fault Honor for thinking how great the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max design is. That's why they stole it.

"Picasso had a saying -- 'good artists copy; great artists steal' -- and we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas"?

Stealing great ideas is to improve and refine the lousy product that supposedly is the great idea and build it like it should've be.

 

[benwiggy]

"orange to orange," which appears to be a play on the English idiom "apples to apples" – referring to a like-for-like comparison.

Errr.... I've only ever heard the idiom "comparing apples to oranges", meaning a comparison of two things that are not similar.

I've never heard anyone say: "These two things are very similar, so we're comparing apples to apples", except possibly as some deliberately comic, crass misrepresentation of the original phrase.

 

[capamac]

 

[Black Belt]

Chinese crap. Hardware is only 35% of a smartphone. The other is software which they don’t have. It’s like all the pirated crap they vomit out. Inferior all the way round. They try to market to posers who just want to APPEAR like they have the real deal but they do not.

 

[underthere]

The plateau is indeed a bad idea. The iPhone 4 and 5 had the best camera ... single camera, flush with back. That's how you do it. Don't need wide and telephoto and all that. Just the standard small camera is fine.

View attachment 2622995

My favorite iPhone design of all time is the five and its siblings

 

[klasma]

Never heard the full quote but infinitely more meaningful.

It’s a later addition, though: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/01/19/imitation-flattery/

 

[underthere]

Seems small minded to say this company is out of ideas, given that they just came up with a pretty clever viral marketing campaign.

Whereas Apple’s big idea was to make an iPhone in orange, which is currently the trendiest color in China. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’d have to agree.

 

[re-cycle]

What does that picture really say?
Want the phone that looks like it comes off the back of a (rather scruffy) lorry?
Or the actual iPhone that comes from the slickest store in the neighbourhood?

Difficult choice... I think they may have shot themselves in the foot. I'd have at least chosen a nicer lorry to paint.

 

[SF7]

Photos have been making the rounds on Chinese social media today showing an Honor-branded advertising truck parked directly in front of Apple Canton Road store in Hong Kong, promoting the company's new Honor 600 series smartphone.

The truck's ad features the slogan "It's our HONOR" alongside the phrase "orange to orange," which appears to be a play on the English idiom "apples to apples" – referring to a like-for-like comparison. The slogan is paired with an image of the Honor phone, in a finish that bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro's Cosmic Orange.

It's a brazen stunt for a brand that spun off from Huawei in 2020 before being sold off to another entity to bypass U.S. sanctions. Using Apple's retail store as a backdrop to pitch your rival device with a similar color is one thing, but when the design is arguably a shameless copy, you're definitely out of ideas.

Apple is unlikely to make a big stink about such guerrilla marketing, as it would only amplify it. And as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Article Link: Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor's Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt

Apple should ignore the knat buzzing around its face. I’m referring to DisHonor, of course.