Apple luxuriates in the praise of its Watch users, takes to the surf to promo new model
The annual keynote from Apple (12 September) not only presented the world with the not-so-secret iPhone X – it threw up three creative spots promoting the handset, the Apple Watch Series 3 and the apparently life-changing effect the company has had on users of its wearable tech.
Dear Apple
Unabashedly named ‘Dear Apple’, the latter ad is literally a 2.5-minute love letter to Tim Cook and his empire. It features a diverse mix of Apple Watch users who have been so affected by the technology’s ability to increase their activity levels and improve their health that they took the time out of their lives to personally write a thank you note to the tech giant.
The film sees a “country boy from small-town Mississippi”, “a two-time Olympian”, “a 99-year-old world traveller” and more read their handwritten letters (not emails – letters) to the viewer as they go about their daily, more active lives.
Praise heaped on the brand includes “with Apple Watch I’m becoming a better version of myself”, while some fans tell stories of how the tech has literally saved their lives. One man notes how the SOS feature helped him call for help when he was injured in a car crash; he reads his story from inside a battered, overturned car.
The spot is accompanied by a soundtrack of cinematic, sweeping violins. The whole ad is read by real customers sharing the actual stories they shared, because ‘People reach out to Apple all the time to say how Apple Watch is helping them live healthier lives’.
Also unveiled last night was the promo for the Apple Watch Series 3. Named Surf, the spot is a visually arresting piece that shows an anonymous surfer receiving an incoming call as they ride a wave, illustrating the new model’s cellular capabilities.
Finally the brand’s main reveal video for the much-awaiting iPhone X also features visuals of swirling liquid, but this time they are confined to the phone’s full width screen.
In classic Apple fashion, the phone is displayed with pops of colour against a white background and features a fresh pop soundtrack (in this case, ‘Best Friend’ by Sofi Tukker) however the longer cut of the ad includes people demonstrating some of the contraption's unique capabilities, such a durable glass screen, Face ID and the Animojis function.
