Here's my main problem with the ad: it's so serious. Of all the companies, I think Apple is the most playful one. Why make a serious-toned ad? This is not IBM or Microsoft. Even Microsoft has started a more playful tone. Apple is about embracing fun and playfulness, so show that in the ads.
The silhouette iPod ads. Those were the truly Apple-like ads to me. They said absolutely nothing with words, it was just great imagery with music. They said it all without words, they were fun to watch, it was a piece of art in itself.
Sure, the iPod was easy to make good ads for, since all it was about (mainly) was playing music on the go. Today things are more complicated. But the thing is, some things haven't changed: people still like things that make them feel good, and that's what Apple products do. So make an ad that makes people feel good, and the connection will work. Instead of saying things that don't really mean much unless you think about them a lot.
Take the boring car ads for an example, where many companies do similar manifesto ads that always have stuff along the lines of "we believe that…", etc…
The Think Different ad was very different in the sense that it wasn't about Apple at all. It was about people who changed the world. It didn't even say "Apple". It just said that you have to be brave and do things in a new way to change the world. This applies to everything, and people of course naturally made the connection with Apple.
No one cares about "companies" and no one cares what companies "believe", "want", "think" or "aim for". People want things that are desirable and that they feel attached to for some reason. That something is what Apple has always had, they just have to remind people of that feeling. An ad should make you feel the way the product makes you feel, and people will instantly get it. It's what the iPod ads did.
PS: And the California thing may be good for those living in the US, but for everyone else, why should they care?
