Well, they tried.
I don't get how hard these guys make it look to make a great ad. It's not that hard at all. People don't want abstract, and they don't want to have to think about it. They want you to tell them clearly what the idea behind the product is.
- iPhone ads: Show the product. All white background, no visual distraction. Walk you through some of the features, like Safari and GPS. All about the product. Tells you why it's a great product, and what the idea behind it is.
- MacBook Air: Show the product. Key feature: size. Make the point visually that it's very thin. That's it. Shows the idea behind the product, and no extra fuzz.
- iMac ads: Show the product. Design philosophy: remove the cable clutter. Spin the product around, make it clear that it's a neat unit. That's it. People get the point.
- iPod nano ads: Show the product. Key feature: lots of colours, new, thin form factor. Spin the product around, let them see it. Show the new colours. Done.
- iPod touch ads: Show the product. Key feature: games (app store). Show some examples. Nuff said.
Notice a pattern? Show the damn product! Make it all about the product! I saw a chewing gum advert the other day that had some guy at the photocopier. He fell through the floor, got dragged around different places, shrunk, and fell in to the copier. What on earth is that about? Why should I buy that product? To get high?
Even the iPhone advertising at the stores is beginning to get copied. Apple decided to have giant demo units, to show people the product. Now everyone's trying to do it, which is good, but the stuff on the screens is not what you get on the handset, which shows they missed the point entirely.