Advertising

Direct mobile app installs coming to your Twitter timeline soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2014

Micro-blogging platform Twitter on Thursday announced a full suite of targeting, creative and measurement tools that enable Twitter advertisers to promote their mobile apps, both on and off-Twitter.

One particular native ad unit takes advantage of Twitter Cards and Promoted Tweets technologies to allow users to easily install and engage with apps, directly from their Twitter timeline.

Currently, tapping an App Store link in a tweet in Twitter's free iPhone and iPad application opens the link in an in-app browser which then redirects the request to the App Store app. Direct app installs from Twitter timelines is limited to this new ad unit and it's not clear if Twitter plans on enabling the feature for common app store links in people's tweets...

For Samsung, Steve Jobs’ death was ‘the best opportunity’ to unleash anti-iPhone ad blitz

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2014

Apple's second California trial against Samsung over smartphone patents has given us an unprecedented insight into Samsung's obsession with beating Apple and Apple's worries over losing the cool factor to Samsung due to the snarky ads that ridiculed the iPhone as an outdated and dull phone.

As you know, Samsung's campaign headlined under the 'The Next Big Thing' tagline went viral in September of 2012, thanks to a particularily scathing ad that ridiculed folks who'd wait in line for an iPhone 5.

The commercials were meant to counter the iPhone 5 "tsunami," as Samsung execs put it, and have managed to enrage Apple's marketing boss Phil Schiller so much that he proposed in an email to CEO Tim Cook that the firm fire its longtime ad agency.

According to a highly confidential email exchange between Samsung execs, we now know that the South Korean firm saw Steve Jobs's death as the “best opportunity to attack the iPhone” and tarnish the Apple brand...

Apple adds CEO of branding agency Wolff Olins to marketing team

Cody Lee ∙ April 11, 2014

Ad Age reports this afternoon that Apple has hired Karl Heiselman, the global CEO of branding agency Wolff Olins. The news comes as the iPad-maker looks to double its in-house creative talent to better combat marketing from Samsung and others.

Interestingly enough, Heiselman used to be a design contractor for Apple in the early 1990s, before Steve Jobs made his triumphant return. He says back then the company was still trying to find itself, and he believes it's once again at a crossroads...

Samsung takes more swipes at iPad in new Galaxy Pro ads

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 8, 2014

Samsung's back at it again. The company has aired four new ads that bash the iPad while painting its own 12-inch Galaxy Tab Pro tablets in favorable light. Samsung released these big tablets three months ago. The ads convey a few hard-hitting yet simple to grasp messages that likely won't sit well with loyal fans of the California-based company.

One ad tells the viewer that anyone can multitask like a pro on Samsung's tablets that can run two apps side-by-side. Another commercial focuses on Samsung's 'Multi User' mode allowing different people to use devices, with each person's settings, documents and apps separate of the others, a feature notably absent from the iPad.

Yet another video, titled 'Pixel Density', offers a critique of the iPad's 2,048-by-1,536 Retina display at 226 pixels per inch. Apple's "Retina thingy", the ad explains, pales in comparison with the Tab Pro's sharp 10.1-inch screen at a whopping 2,5600-by-1,600 resolution with a pixel density of 299ppi.

I've included all four ads for your viewing pleasure right below the fold...

Apple’s latest ‘Your Verse’ story is about iPad in Bollywood

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

You've seen how world-class mountaineers use iPad for their extraordinary climbs and how coaches use the device to help diagnose athletes’ concussions so how about some more testimonials?

You're in for a treat as Apple's just added a new story to the 'Your Verse' microsite highlighting how its popular post-PC device is being used by Bollywood choreographer Feroz Khan to capture inspiration for his passion.

So, what does it take to choreograph a vision in Bollywood?

Read on for the full reveal...

Anyone can now create iAd campaigns

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Apple released iAd Workbench last summer, giving its registered iOS developer a much-needed tool to create, manage, optimize and track in-app iAd campaigns, build customized banners and more. The mobile advertising tool used to require a paid iOS developer account, $99 per year.

Starting today, non-developers are free to use iAd Workbench as well: all that's needed is a regular Apple ID account. Or to put it other way, Apple's just given anyone the ability to make their own iAds. Additionally, the iPhone maker has expanded its advertising platform by adding a new video iAd unit to Workbench...

Study shows mobile game developers are seeing success with TV ads

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

With more and more users moving to smartphones these days, some major mobile game publishers have taken their advertising business to television in an effort to cast a wider net. Chances are you've seen one of these commercials within the past month, including this one for Clash of Clans.

And you're probably going to start seeing a lot more of them, because apparently they're working. According to new data from analytics firm App Annie, some mobile game developers are seeing significant boosts in App Store and Google Play Store rankings for their titles following TV campaigns...

New ‘Your Verse’ feature: how iPad helps diagnose athletes’ concussions

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 25, 2014

After highlighting last month the many ways mountaineers use iPad for their extraordinary climbs, Apple last night refreshed its 'Your Verse' microsite with a new feature outlining how the popular post-PC device is being used to help diagnose athletes' concussions.

The section features athletic trainer Jason Cruickshank of Ohio's St. Edward High School who uses C3 Logix's concussion assessment iPad app to discover the symptoms moments after an event occurs and before they show up on the imaging test...

New Samsung ad takes simultaneous jabs at iPad, Surface and Kindle

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 20, 2014

Samsung's just posted a new ad to its YouTube channel inviting viewers to "do more" on the new multi-tasking Galaxy Tab Pro series tablet, featuring three different scenes dedicated to bashing Apple's iPad, Microsoft's Surface and Amazon's Kindle tablets. The ad is actually humorous, which is a refreshing change change for Samsung.

The commercial's anti-Apple scene envisions sending email on the Samsung tablet while on a video call, using snapping two apps side by side. Have a look at it after the break and tell us what you think in the comment section...

Apple pushing iPhone 5c with new animated web ads

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Apple has been having a little more trouble selling the iPhone 5c than it anticipated. We've known this for a long time, and Tim Cook himself confirmed it during the company's last earnings call, essentially telling analysts that the handset has not been as popular as they expected.

But instead of throwing in the towel, Apple appears to be experimenting with a new advertising campaign to push the device. Animated ads, like the one you see in the screenshot above, have begun popping up on high profile websites like Tumblr, Yahoo and The New York Times...

Instagram to pester us with more ads as it signs major $100M deal

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 10, 2014

Facebook-owned Instagram is about to monetize its more than 150 million active users in a big way, by continuing to pester them with a growing number of really expensive photo and video ads. Not that fans of the photo and video-sharing service will necessarily approve of the move, but Instagram has now signed its first major deal, reports AdAge.

Come on, you knew this was coming: first ads began showing up on Instagram back in November 2013.

That being said, today's announcement is on an entirely different level as the people of Instagram have managed to sign a lucrative deal with an ad agency worth a cool $100 million. According to people familiar with the matter, the team is now rolling out a paid advertising program with a year-long commitment from Omnicom to spend north of $100 million to advertise for its clients on Instagram...

LG’s bizarre G Flex ad is disturbing, infographic pretends the iPhone never existed

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 6, 2014

Titled 'The Most Human Phone Ever', LG's newest commercial for its curved G Flex handset must be one of the weirdest, most bizarre smartphone commercials we've seen to date. Trust me, it's really disturbing and will give you nightmares. The video is airing to viewers in The Netherlands.

The firm also posted a cool infographic with a visual timeline depicting the history of the smartphone.

In another 'what were they thinking' moment, the illustration makes absolutely no mention of the original iPhone's release back in 2007 - it's as if Apple's handset never existed...