It was going so well. “Shot on iPhone 6” is a fantastic campaign. I’ve written about it already, as a great
example of a company bringing its audience right inside of its brand. A brand allowing
itself to be defined by its customers.
I suppose in a way the new “If it’s
not an iPhone, it’s not an iPhone” spots do the same thing. The problem is that
they define Apple by the very worst of its attitude, and the very worst of its
customers. Smug, self-absorbed – and just not very interesting.
("Smug, self-absorbed and just not very interesting" was my second choice for the name of this blog.)
("Smug, self-absorbed and just not very interesting" was my second choice for the name of this blog.)
“Shot on iPhone 6” was great
because it wasn’t really about the iPhone, or about Apple – it was about the
talent and personality of the varied people who engage with the brand. That
displacement and pluralism gave it power.
“If it’s not an iPhone…” is instead
just a puff piece – which has very little to do with the Apple brand. Apple’s mantra is to think differently – to be unique. And the
iPhone may be unique in some way. But simply saying that doesn’t make it so.
As Adweek notes, it’s a half step
away from being a parody of itself. We’re already pretty well stocked with
those.
(And they're often pretty hilarious.)
Frankly, if nothing else this kind
of ad should be beneath Apple. Talking consumer satisfaction and how well the
hardware is optimised – that’s something you expect from Microsoft or Samsung.
Someone with something to prove. Not from the market leader.
(And I wouldn’t necessarily trust
any company that feels the need to talk about customers liking the product. If
you’re the best tech company in the world, making a good product really ought
to be a given.)
It speaks to a lack of confidence.
It sounds less like a message, and more like the absence of any message to
send. If anything it sounds as though they took the brief for an ad (or perhaps
a sales training manual), and then used it word for word as the script.
Telling people you’re unique means
nothing. Telling people you’re superior means nothing. Showing what makes you
special – without shouting to the rooftops that it’s what you’re trying to do –
that is what makes for a compelling message.
“Shot on iPhone 6” did it. It
made one feature – the camera – the hero, all while happily ceding the focus to
the photographs, with no need for product shots. Simple, and confident.
But this new work sounds like a
brand that is self-obsessed, but knows nothing about itself, other than that people think its cool
and it wants to cling to that.
Get over yourself Apple. Don’t tell
me how great you are. Show me.
Here are the ads.
