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those apple music comercials suck!

C

codycartoon

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 13, 2002
164
1
People singing with there iPods? what was apple thinking?...

here are my complaints with the commercials:

they don't even show the front of the ipod! so to someone who hasn't seen the new ipod they think its just like the old one!

they do not advertise the simplicity, elegance, hard drive space, or interface!Isn't that why you would buy one!

how does random people singing a song make you want to buy an iPod...the only resin that i see is to make the consumers curious enough to go to the site.

what I would do:

a series of commercials where a person goes through there typical day with an ipod connected to a Mac and how the ipod has made the day better...or something i duno...


I bought my ipod the first day they came out(15gb)...and I have been very happy with it...the commercials give it no justice

What do you think of the new commercials?

-cody
 
Although I haven't seen the commercials, the thinking BEHIND advertising generally doesn't follow what one may think of as common sense.

When the automobile "Infinity" made its debut many years ago, it rocked the advertising world. It was a common practice to advertise an automobile by, well, at least SHOWING the damn thing, then going on about its features, etc. Instead, the Infinity commercials showed leaves falling from a tree, puddles in the ground, "new age" music in the background, and, well, that was about it.

The concept was genius. By NOT showing the product, it created an immediate buzz, and emotions invoked by the mysterious, beautiful and enticing imagery and music and sounds hit viewers to the core. Fortunately, the car itself DID turn out to be a beautiful machine, and continues to be a fairly well selling automobile.

As Apple enthusiasts, we want so desperately for the public to "get it", and we do tend to get harsh towards our beloved company when it comes to the ways Apple promotes, or doesn't promote, their machines and products. What may not be sauce for the goose (our perceptions) may very well be sauce for the gander (their target audience).

I leave my trust in their choices. After all, Apple could have, quite seriously, been long gone only a few short years ago. I'm quite content.
 
?????

Don't you realise that the ads weren't advertising the iPods..

The ads were advertising the new music service, and inviting you do visit the site to see how to get individual songs for 99¢ each.
 
I've seen a few of them and thought they were pretty good. I don't think they're supposed to be ads for the iPods - they're ads for the music store (they put up the URL for www.AppleMusic.com at the end). I think that's why the iPods aren't really shown.

But you're right - it would be nice to see a TV ad for the iPods.

Davis
 
Re: those apple music comercials suck!

Originally posted by codycartoon
how does random people singing a song make you want to buy an iPod...the only resin that i see is to make the consumers curious enough to go to the site.
Click to expand...
Well, the ad is more for the music service, and not the iPods. Sure, Apple put the iPods in there to give them some publicity, but mostly the commercial is for the music service.
 
Is it me or did the links for the TV ads disappear from Apple's website? I can't find them anymore.

I wanted one more laugh at the 'Baby Got Back' guy!
 
yeah the ads are gone, there has been alot of discussion on their absence. I like the commercials , they are attention getting. I think they shoudl show the ipod but if they dont' they don't. also if they get u to the msuic store, then bam BUY AN IPOD is a link...
 
Originally posted by Kwyjibo
hes not a pirate, apple wasnt' charging for the material hes offering.
Click to expand...
Plus its a commercial, so he is actually kind of helping Apple's marketing.:D
 
Personally, I think the concept for the commercials is not a terribly bad one, but the excecution was incredibly poorly done. The songs and people they selected just didn't work at all. Sure, the concept of a twentysomething white male singing "Baby Got Back" might seem like an amusing idea, but unfortunately, it came off as incredibly annoying. A kid singing an Eminem song stil doesn't make Eminem's music any more tolerable. There was one spot I felt was done well, but now I don't remember which it was.

I can't help thinking how cool this campaign could have been had they done it L.A. karaoke lounge style, and had Japanese businessmen singing Western hit pop songs :D

Danke,
Brook
 
I can't help thinking how cool this campaign could have been had they done it L.A. karaoke lounge style, and had Japanese businessmen singing Western hit pop songs
Click to expand...

Thats always fun!!:D

Well I agee why not show itunes 4 and the ipod people. Apple should show people how easy it is to use their new service and show off their ipods. You know your doing well when people "pirate" your adds.
 
I'm not as concerned with the content of the ads as I am with their frequency. I don't think Apple spends enough on advertising. These ads need to cover a wider area than they are covering and their number of views needs to be many times what it is now. I hardly ever see the ads.

--dh
 
I think just by the fact that people here don't know if the commercials are advertising the ipods or the new music service show that Apple has missed.

Personally, I think that Apple should be much more aggressive in their advertising. When you're behind, you need to be hard hitting. Define the difference, show your audience how Macs are better and how they will better their lives. And don't try to be so cute, unless we get Ridley Scott to direct another commercial.
 
i also think the ads blow - except the ones with the girls singing. the ones that were trying to be funny just missed the mark a bit.
 
For some reason the commercials make me want to walk up to these people and...
 

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Re: ?????

Originally posted by bidge
Don't you realise that the ads weren't advertising the iPods..

The ads were advertising the new music service, and inviting you do visit the site to see how to get individual songs for 99¢ each.
Click to expand...

If you have to explain the ad, then it is a failure. Simple as that.

The reason I don't like the Apple ads is that, contrary to their intent, they make Apple users appear different, and somehow more eccentric than "normal" people. Which, I would think, is just the image that Apple should be trying to shed when attempting to embrace a wider audience. I think that the visual device of talking directly into the camera that Errol Morris used to such great effect in his documentaries of a myraid of screwballs, has a similar effect on otherwise potentially normal individuals. As a viewer of one of these ads, it is very off putting, and disconcerting having someone you don't know proselytizing directly at you.

The iTunes Music Store ads do nothing to remedy this by awkwardly injecting you into what is framed as an otherwise private enjoyment of music. Does one honestly stare at people as they sing to themselves in the Subway or on the bus? I think not. Its generally a mildly embarassing experience, and certainly not one that would make me interested in whatever product (or substance abuse) resulted in this loss of pride and body control. The idea probably sounded nice, no pun intended, in the advertising presentation to Apple... gyrating, awkward freak singing to self whilst suspended in The Void. Yeah, that's a target demographic.
 
Re: Re: ?????

Originally posted by moose
If you have to explain the ad, then it is a failure. Simple as that.

The reason I don't like the Apple ads is that, contrary to their intent, they make Apple users appear different, and somehow more eccentric than "normal" people. Which, I would think, is just the image that Apple should be trying to shed when attempting to embrace a wider audience. I think that the visual device of talking directly into the camera that Errol Morris used to such great effect in his documentaries of a myraid of screwballs, has a similar effect on otherwise potentially normal individuals. As a viewer of one of these ads, it is very off putting, and disconcerting having someone you don't know proselytizing directly at you.

The iTunes Music Store ads do nothing to remedy this by awkwardly injecting you into what is framed as an otherwise private enjoyment of music. Does one honestly stare at people as they sing to themselves in the Subway or on the bus? I think not. Its generally a mildly embarassing experience, and certainly not one that would make me interested in whatever product (or substance abuse) resulted in this loss of pride and body control. The idea probably sounded nice, no pun intended, in the advertising presentation to Apple... gyrating, awkward freak singing to self whilst suspended in The Void. Yeah, that's a target demographic.
Click to expand...

I don't see how hard it is to understand what the ads are selling. "Applemusic.com" appears in really big letters at the end each ad and by going to Applemusic.com I get to learn about the Music Store, iTunes 4 and the iPod. And Apple's demographic isn't a "wide audience" any more than BMW or Mercedes is a wide audience. Apple isn't trying to compete w/Dell or Gateway to sell stripped down computers at bargin basement prices to the masses. For lack of a better term Apple is selling "luxury" computers and is trying to establish that a Mac is more than just a computer thus we are getting more creative and "off-beat" commercials rather than the hard-sell approach used in most commercials.

People say these ads and the switch ads sucked but how much word of mouth did the switch ads create? How many people talked about them? How many switch parodies were people making? How often do you see an ad campaign get that much attention? I don't know how many computers those ads sold but I know there was a lot more talk about Apple and Macs than usual because of those adds.


Lethal
 
Re: Re: Re: ?????

Originally posted by LethalWolfe
I don't see how hard it is to understand what the ads are selling. "Applemusic.com" appears in really big letters at the end each ad and by going to Applemusic.com I get to learn about the Music Store, iTunes 4 and the iPod. And Apple's demographic isn't a "wide audience" any more than BMW or Mercedes is a wide audience. Apple isn't trying to compete w/Dell or Gateway to sell stripped down computers at bargin basement prices to the masses. For lack of a better term Apple is selling "luxury" computers and is trying to establish that a Mac is more than just a computer thus we are getting more creative and "off-beat" commercials rather than the hard-sell approach used in most commercials.

People say these ads and the switch ads sucked but how much word of mouth did the switch ads create? How many people talked about them? How many switch parodies were people making? How often do you see an ad campaign get that much attention? I don't know how many computers those ads sold but I know there was a lot more talk about Apple and Macs than usual because of those adds.


Lethal
Click to expand...

Speaking as a designer, you learn very quickly not to question human nature in advertising, or you will fail very quickly. It doesn't matter if you feel you are plainly stating in cold hard text that it is an ad for Applemusic.com. If people don't get, they don't get it. Get thee to the drawing board and work the problem itself: the ad is not communicating. Never, ever blame the audience, or expect them to just "get it".

Secondly, I don't think that all attention is necessarily good attention. I think the parodies, and ridicule, even within the Mac ranks bears this out. Further, the numbers bear it out even worse. If, at the end of the day, as an ad campaign comes to close, or morphs into its next cycle as it is with the iTunes ads, and you look back to see if you are now making more money after these ads, or that you have laid a solid foundation for future sales and the answer is no, then in the most basic business sense it was a failure.

And Apple's demographic isn't a "wide audience" any more than BMW or Mercedes is a wide audience. Apple isn't trying to compete w/Dell or Gateway to sell stripped down computers at bargin basement prices to the masses.
Click to expand...
Thirdly, are you implying that Apple's only competitor is itself, if indeed they are not marketing to PC users with a campaign entitled "Switchers" featuring "average users"? That certainly paints a picture of a company attempting to reach a "wide audience" to me. If, as you say Apple's demographic is not a larger audience then Apple will never gain market share, and the label of elitist computing is well applied to us. I guess the eMac is a low cost elite product?

No, I think that at its core, pun intended, Apple is extremely interested in bringing in new blood. If I may be so bold as to read a little into your response, you seem to imply that Apple targeting a "wider audience" is somehow a bad thing. If I am wrong, forgive me, otherwise, I'll say that businesses exist for one purpose: to make as much money as possible. If Apple sells more computers to more users, and spreads our brand of computing to as many people as they can then so much the better. But to imply that the status quo, and a limited market share is somehow acceptable is laughable from a purely business perspective. Thankfully for us, I don't think that is the case.

And as an aside, you would do well to note that your anecdote of both Mercedes and BMW have vastly expanded their base (and revenue) by creating low cost models to appeal to audiences far from their more traditional lofty markets. I like the parallel with Apple in so far as the implication is one of a finely honed, well engineered experience that goes beyond utility into the realm of the emotional, but to think that protection of the Apple brand as a "luxury" marque while simultaneously advertising to bristly beard hippies and stoned students is a lesson in wearing the Emperors clothes...
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: ?????

Originally posted by moose
Speaking as a designer, you learn very quickly not to question human nature in advertising, or you will fail very quickly. It doesn't matter if you feel you are plainly stating in cold hard text that it is an ad for Applemusic.com. If people don't get, they don't get it. Get thee to the drawing board and work the problem itself: the ad is not communicating. Never, ever blame the audience, or expect them to just "get it".

Secondly, I don't think that all attention is necessarily good attention. I think the parodies, and ridicule, even within the Mac ranks bears this out. Further, the numbers bear it out even worse. If, at the end of the day, as an ad campaign comes to close, or morphs into its next cycle as it is with the iTunes ads, and you look back to see if you are now making more money after these ads, or that you have laid a solid foundation for future sales and the answer is no, then in the most basic business sense it was a failure.


Thirdly, are you implying that Apple's only competitor is itself, if indeed they are not marketing to PC users with a campaign entitled "Switchers" featuring "average users"? That certainly paints a picture of a company attempting to reach a "wide audience" to me. If, as you say Apple's demographic is not a larger audience then Apple will never gain market share, and the label of elitist computing is well applied to us. I guess the eMac is a low cost elite product?

No, I think that at its core, pun intended, Apple is extremely interested in bringing in new blood. If I may be so bold as to read a little into your response, you seem to imply that Apple targeting a "wider audience" is somehow a bad thing. If I am wrong, forgive me, otherwise, I'll say that businesses exist for one purpose: to make as much money as possible. If Apple sells more computers to more users, and spreads our brand of computing to as many people as they can then so much the better. But to imply that the status quo, and a limited market share is somehow acceptable is laughable from a purely business perspective. Thankfully for us, I don't think that is the case.

And as an aside, you would do well to note that your anecdote of both Mercedes and BMW have vastly expanded their base (and revenue) by creating low cost models to appeal to audiences far from their more traditional lofty markets. I like the parallel with Apple in so far as the implication is one of a finely honed, well engineered experience that goes beyond utility into the realm of the emotional, but to think that protection of the Apple brand as a "luxury" marque while simultaneously advertising to bristly beard hippies and stoned students is a lesson in wearing the Emperors clothes...
Click to expand...

wow someone took some writing classes. :(
 
Originally posted by Tequila Grandma
I can't help thinking how cool this campaign could have been had they done it L.A. karaoke lounge style, and had Japanese businessmen singing Western hit pop songs :D
Click to expand...

Ugh, if ever there was a way to not sell iPods. My friend used to live across from this watering hole where all the old Japanese businessmen geezers used to drink until 3am and sing. Made him wish firearms were legal in Japan:mad: then for an encore they stumble out onto the street and keep singing ... :rolleyes:

I dothink it would make a cool commercial, though.
 
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