Advertising

Apple to bring full-screen video iAds to iOS apps this year

Cody Lee ∙ March 5, 2014

AdAge is reporting this afternoon that Apple is looking to roll out new video iAds for iPhone and iPad later this year. Citing people with knowledge of the company's plans, the outlet says that these 'interstitial' ads will automatically play in full-screen on iOS devices.

The way it works currently, iAds are much less obtrusive: a user must click on a mobile banner for a brand's ad video to play. Under the new format, developers could opt to display TV commercial-like ads during moments of transition, like in between game levels...

Apple brings another ad shop under its wing

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Apple for some time now has been moving to bulk up its in-house marketing team and bring a few of its favorite external ad shops under the same corporate umbrella. In the latest move, Rosetta, one of Apple's longtime advertising partners, has launched a new agency brand, Level, which appears to be exclusively dedicated to Apple. This is another example of Apple's ongoing efforts to consolidate all of its agency partners under the same roof...

Latest Samsung ads take swipes at iPhone’s screen size and iPad’s multitasking

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 19, 2014

Samsung is taking a page from Microsoft's book with the release of a new ad featuring side-by-side comparison of its 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab Pro and Apple's iPad. Not only that, Samsung has actually borrowed the concept of Apple's inaugural iPad Air commercial dubbed 'Pencil' and applied it to its ad.

The ad titled 'Multitasking Redefined' highlights Samsung device's multitasking capabilities allowing it to render two apps side-by-side, because "doing two things at once is greater than doing one thing at once".

The 60-second video proudly proclaims the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to be an even thinner tablet than the iPad Air despite a negligible difference in their thickness. There's also another ad which uses a video of a LeBron James slam dunk to mock the iPhone's screen size.

Here it is...

Apple highlights how mountaineers use iPad for their extraordinary climbs

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 18, 2014

As part of its currently running iPad web marketing campaign, Apple on Tuesday morning refreshed its 'Your Verse' website, adding a new feature which highlights the many ways mountaineers Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington are using their iPads to plan ahead and climb some of the most feared mountains on Earth.

Their extraordinary climbs see the couple use Apple's tablet and special apps like the Gaia GPS topography app to plan their ascent, see the remote mountain regions in greater detail and more...

Ad execs disparage iAds over Apple’s ‘slow, cocky and downright stingy’ approach

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 18, 2014

iAd, Apple's advertising platform, continues to struggle to gain traction and retain big name advertisers. A new report by industry publication Advertising Age claims that Madison Avenue media buyers are unimpressed by the performance of iAds, which they contributed to Apple's "slow, cocky and downright stingy" approach to ad sales.

The problem boils down to Apple's lack of understanding of advertising as a relationship-driven business...

Chevy’s new Equinox ad stars Siri Eyes Free and it’s funny

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 10, 2014

General Motors a few days ago started airing a new television commercial for its brand now 2014 vehicle, the Chevrolet Equinox. The car features integration with Siri Eyes Free, an Apple-made voice-activated system which debuted in 2012 allowing drivers to interact with Siri on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad using their voice, without taking their hands off the steering wheel.

Watch now how a perfectly normal conversation between a husband and wife goes wrong thanks to Siri...

Apple goes behind the scenes of its new ‘1.24.14’ Mac anniversary ad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple this morning published a new 30th Mac anniversary video, titled '1.24.14' and shot entirely on iPhones and edited on Macs.

Now, less than an hour ago, the company's YouTube channel got refreshed with a behind-the-scenes video detailing the thought process that went into the creation of the well-received '1.24.14' ad.

I've included it for your viewing pleasure right after the break so give it a watch and then meet us in comments...

Apple now rejecting apps that use ad tracking but don’t show any ads

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 3, 2014

An interesting finding by TechCrunch this morning that Apple has now started to reject apps which retrieve users’ Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), but don’t show any ads. IDFA was introduced alongside iOS 6 two years ago to replace the universal device identifier (UDID) from prior iOS versions amid privacy concerns and new regulatory requirements. The company last March stopped accepting apps into the App Store that use the now defunct UDID...

This commercial replaces the drones in Apple’s ‘1984’ Macintosh ad with Wall Street men in suits

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Apple ran its famous ‘1984’ Macintosh ad during the Super Bowl XVIII 30 years ago this month and advertising legend Lee Clow earlier this week hinted the company may be looking to advertise the Mac’s 30th anniversary during the Super Bowl XLVIII.

The $900,000 ad was also aired only one other time on television, on December 31, 1983 right before the 12:00 midnight sign-off on KMVT in Twin Falls, Idaho.

There have been countless attempts to copy the concept of Apple's award-winning commercial. Back in 2011, Motorola’s Xoom tablet ad played on the Big Brother theme, for example.

And now, financial services company Aspiration Partners LLC has created a take on '1984' which replaces the drones in Apple’s ad with Wall Street men in suits, watch it embedded right after the break...

T-Mobile steps up rhetoric with newspaper ad likening AT&T to Death Star

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

T-Mobile persists in its anti-AT&T rhetoric and today marks a new chapter in AT&T trash-talking as the nation's fourth-largest wireless company puts out a press release ridiculing AT&T's $450 incentive for T-Mobile subscribers to switch.

Conveniently timed on the same day that AT&T released its Christmas quarter earnings report, the press release argues that AT&T's offer makes T-Mobile's own incentive to pay ETFs to switch a no-brainer because AT&T customers can now go to T-Mobile and then come back at no cost.

Seriously, if a customer takes advantage of T-Mobile's ETF offer and later decides he or she dislikes it for whatever reason, AT&T will pay $450 to take them back so they don't really lose anything. The Deutsche Telekom-owned operator has also revealed advertisements that should appear in print newspapers today to communicate this message nationwide...

In time for the Super Bowl, Apple posts shortened ‘Light Verse’ and ‘Sound Verse’ iPad Air ads

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 22, 2014

Earlier this month during the NFL playoffs, Apple posted a new iPad Air commercial titled 'Your Verse Anthem' and featuring a voiceover from the 1989 American drama film Dead Poets Society. Running one minute and 30 seconds long, it's been airing on television for several days now.

With the Super Bowl looming, the company has now released shortened versions of the commercial to its YouTube channel, each conveniently running 30 seconds long...

Poll: is Apple going to advertise the Mac’s 30th anniversary during Super Bowl?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 22, 2014

This one's a stretch, but Apple's Macintosh is soon celebrating its 30th anniversary and advertising legend Lee Clow hinted in a pair of tweets that the company just might celebrate the occasion by running an ad during the Super Bowl XLVIII.

"Good football. Good sunset. Mac's gonna be 30 this week," his tweet reads. "Gonna be a good Super Bowl. Mac's gonna be 30 :)," another tweet teased.

Clow was Steve's personal friend and he is the Chairman, Global Director and former Chief Creative Office of TBWA\Worldwide, one of the world's top ad shops.

More importantly, the advertising guru helped create Apple’s ‘Think Different’ slogan, the iPod silhouettes ad series and the famous ’1984′ ad, which was directed by Ridley Scot and televised as part of the third quarter Super Bowl XVIII telecast on this day thirty years ago.

So, is Apple going to run this epic ad (or a new one) during the upcoming Super Bowl?