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New Apple TV Billboards Start Popping Up in U.S. Cities

It's a little amusing and ironic. Colorbars were used when NTSC color TV was transmitted because you could feed the signal into a vectorscope and the calibrate the phase shifts that the regular pattern would cause:
SMPTE_color_bars_on_NTSC_vectorscope.png

Moreover, if you ran the signal into an oscilloscope timed to show one line of video, the bars would show regular amplitude (and superimposed chroma) patterns.
2hi4Q.jpg


But with digital transmission there's basically no purpose. HD test patterns concentrate more on measuring display gamma and geometry.
 
szw-mapple fan said:
I feel sorry for the people whose office is behind that huge banner...
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I don't know if this makes it better or worse, but that's actually an apartment building! I drive past this building every day and Apple seems to almost always have banners on all 4 sides of it. Last time I looked it was this Apple TV ad on one side, and the iPhone 6s on the other 3 sides.

http://instratasunsetvinetower.com/
 
gijoeinla said:
Sorry but I live in L.A., am in entertainment marketing, and most importantly I buy outdoor large size advertising space.

West Hollywood outdoor space is NOT mostly used to promote products towards the gay community. It's simply too valuable to target one demographic. Yes maybe a few spaces are leased for gay specific ads but Apple is not one of them. This area is prime premium Los Angeles outdoor real estate. Samsung repeatedly buys all the bus shelters in West Hollywood for long run durations on its Galaxy product. Same for Microsoft.

In fact West Hollywood outdoor ad real estate is some of the most expensive space in the world to rent. Since the incredible volume of traffic that passes thru it daily is not gay I can assure you that Apple and every other major advertiser buys space there for cross demographic reasons and gets the impressionable gay market by default.

I'd point point out that Apples 4-sided massive building ad at Sunset and Vine costs them upwards of $100,000 monthly.

An ad they run on Sunset Blvd west of Crescent Heights costs them upwards of $50,000 monthly. I'd point out that's in West Hollywood. Another they buy monthly at Santa Monica and Doheny Dr has been as high as $60,000 monthly - that space was leased for The Gap for years, Apple scored it not long ago. Another at Melrose and Alfred runs north of $30k.

I assure you that given the boards that Apple threw up its new ATV ads and it's carefully selected locations in this market it's pretty obvious they are very serious about this product and is spending big ad dollars it's a solid indication they are ready to bring Apple TV out of its hobby status.

It should be pointed out that these specific ad locations they chose send a much bigger message to the entertainment industry here that they want it to be known that they are a serious contender in the home entrainment space -- believe me. Strategy people. Strategy.
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You know, I was almost going to clarify further that billboards on Sunset/Melrose in Weho tend to be geared more to anyone and the insane amount of tourists that come through that area, but didn't feel responding to that user further was necessary. But I'll agree, I made an incorrect blanket statement. Original point being, it's not cruel or insensitive to suggest marketing be directed towards a certain demo in a city where the residents make up 40% of that demo. And there is in fact more marketing directed towards gay people in Weho than anywhere else in LA.

Now in response to you, I definitely followed everything you said up until the "impressionable gay market" comment. Are you implying gay people are more susceptible to marketing due to their sexuality? Or did you mean to state gay people are more likely to spend money on products than their straight counterparts because they tend to have more disposable income? Which is relatively easy when your home model doesn't revolve around creating a family. Or if you meant gay people spend more money on products because they are usually affluent, highly-educated, sophisticated, brand aware, product loyal, and early adopters, that would also be correct. If it's anything otherwise I'm curious as to what.

Also, there's an Apple ad at Melrose and Alfred? Did you mean Melrose Place? Where? Melrose and Alfred don't intersect.
 
and of course the avg person who is not familiar with apple TV is going to think apple is releasing an actual Television set.
 
adamneer said:
I like it. But then, I already own an Apple TV 4 (and love it) and I know that "bars and tone" are a broadcast standard for calibration and not a "glitch" like some here seem to think.
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Depending on your age ... if your in the right age group those bars came on TV whenever the station had broadcasting problems or "Glitch" for short.
 
mrgraff said:
I guess you missed the part where I also said that it doesn't. I was chastising the people who seemed to have a problem with the ad's resemblance to the rainbow flag.
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So it's OK if people don't like the ad, except if the reason is because of it's resemblance to the rainbow flag.

tgwaste said:
Its not about that. Its about Tim Cooks Gay Agenda.
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I don't think it is but I also don't think it's an effective ad. The iPod silhouette campaign was effective as was the Shot on iPhone 6. I don't know what the heck this is or how it brings brand awareness to Apple TV.
 
coolfactor said:
Blah, the iPhone could've been so much more for people who want to use third-party apps. Oh wait.

The AppleTV will evolve further over time. Be patient.
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AppleTV is in its 4th generation and had years between its last version, no where near the same thing as the 1st iPhone.
 
Rogifan said:
So it's OK if people don't like the ad, except if the reason is because of it's resemblance to the rainbow flag.
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No, of course not; I just don't have time to weigh in on the countless other possible reasons to dislike the ad. I have a problem with the "rainbow flag" reason, and felt like sharing my opinion in that regard.
 
Gay pride flag colors + old classic colorful Apple Logo + TV test stripes + Apple TV product marketing = amazingness.
 
crsh1976 said:
It's odd how the SMPTE pattern is really easy to miss, even more than the colours appearing in the original Apple logo (from the 80s/90s at least) - all I'm seeing is a LGBT flag and it creates an incoherent association - Apple TV and gay rights? They don't seemingly go together.

Seems like bad ad planning.
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It goes together when the CEO for the company is both gay and quite vocal about it.
 
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