Creative Director’s Choice: Cutwater’s Chuck McBride on Apple’s storytelling ability
Creative Director’s Choice gives creative directors a chance to highlight the current work they think is the best out in the ad world – the ads and campaigns they believe are making a difference.
FKA Twigs for Apple HomePod
This week, Chuck McBride, founder and chief creative officer of Cutwater, talks about Apple’s ability to tell a story through its advertising.
Like so many, I have been a huge fan of the recent Apple work. Not only because they hired Spike Jonze – that’s always a good idea. Most importantly, they have hit another stride: storytelling.
For years, while at Chiat, Apple demonstrated products. While some of the ads were visually interesting, iPod for instance, they didn’t exactly tell a story. This has changed with a slew of lovely product ads that demonstrate the product benefit within stories of visual wonder.
Their recent efforts with facial recognition, and the HomePod specifically, seamlessly blend the art of communication with the science of their technology. Apple has shown us that the utilization of a really good, entertaining short film or music video can sell the concept of a digital assistant.
While Apple has never been shy about hiring celebrities to hawk its products, the latest HomePod commercial is an example is an example of why utilizing a famed movie and music video director, along with a fresh single and a talented artist can push the needle in terms of sales and consumer engagement. Though HomePod competitors from Amazon and Google may have a monopoly in the personal assistance space, their ability to deliver disruptive advertising content can be called into question through Apple’s reality-blurring visuals and intensive set design. The piece articulates that the product can “re-architect” the acoustics of your room to create a perfect high-fidelity sound experience, all while allowing its viewers to create new realities through the use of our imaginations.
It’s clear that Apple can see the value in quality and one’s own interpretation. Bravo Apple and partners, it’s good to see that you still love advertising at its best.
Chuck McBride is founder and chief creative officer of San Francisco indie agency, Cutwater.
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