Tag Archives: Commercial

Brand Strategy, Portfolio

Apple Crushes the Creative Sector

Apple, once the beloved brand among creatives, seems to have lost its connection with its original core audience.

A Glimmer of Hope in 2022

In March 2022, Apple fans had a reason to rejoice. After years of neglecting the Mac Pro and witnessing the brief stint of the iMac Pro, Apple finally launched the all-new Mac Studio and Studio Display. This moment seemed like a turning point, prompting me to write an enthusiastic article proclaiming, “Apple is back.“

The Golden Era: 2004-2016

Between 2004 and 2016, Apple’s “Pro” line was synonymous with creativity and innovation. The apple.com/pro section celebrated the achievements of creative professionals. With the Studio launch, there was hope that Apple would rekindle its relationship with its creative audience.

apple.com/pro
apple.com/pro

 

A short-lived revival

Unfortunately, the revival was brief. In the latest  commercial for the Apple iPad Pro dashed these hopes by  crushing musical instruments, suggesting they had been replaced by the iPad Pro. This move displayed a complete lack of understanding of Apple’s core creative audience.

The backlash on social media was swift and fierce, prompting an apology from Apple:

“Our goal is always to celebrate the myriad ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”

Apple’s trend of sidelining the creative community is evident. As of now, none of Apple’s computers aimed at creatives have been updated with the latest chips. The new iPad Pro boasts the M4 chip, but the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are still running on the M2. To consumers, this suggests that the machines intended for creatives are two generations behind.

Apple’s recent action has raised further concerns about its commitment to the creative sector. While the launch of the Mac Studio and Studio Display provided a brief moment of optimism, the company’s subsequent actions, and no actions,  have left me wondering if Apple still values its creative roots.

General

Old Spice… no matter how hard you try the brand still reads Old… Spice…

I must say that I love P&Gs Old Spice commercials fighting men to “stop using lady-scented body wash!”. They truly stem from an insight: there are men who use the body wash from their wives & girlfriends. Well I guess more likely from their wives… less need to impress.  So Old Spice has a point: wake up, stop smelling like rosewater and put on a decent guy smell!

So far so good but… do we men really want to identify themselves to anything that comes close to “old” or “old spice”?  To me there is a bit of a branding problem here: the brand is funny and playful  (just check out their site and commercials) but the brand name is nothing like it. Who wants to be reminded to “old” and “old spice” every time you take a shower, while washing a body that gets older and less spicy every day? A nice reminder isn’t it? Old… Spice, no thank you!

General

Crunch’s private gym body tarp commercial: simply hilarious!

Saw this one tonight in the taxi. Soooo funny! It is simply the funniest commercial I have seen here in the USA for a long long time!

Crunch is a health club with locations in New York City, LA, Miami and some others. It ‘s philosophy is simple:

There are no judgments here – No too much or not enough. No glares of disapproval. Here we keep open minds. We are nurturers. We seek only to encourage, empower and entertain. There is no one type. There is no one reason. There is no one way. What we are is a diverse community; what we have is a culture of fun; what there is, is room for everyone: all kinds of people with all kinds of goals who’ve chosen to come reach them with us
Crunch. No Judgments.

What a great way to differentiate in the health club market!!

That philosophy is exactly what the commercial is all about, enjoy and have a good laugh!