The fellow to your left is Doug. Doug thinks that one of the greatest advancements in the history of mankind is the iPhone’s Visual Voicemail feature. And Doug expounds upon that hypothesis in one of three new iPhone TV ads to debut this weekend.
At least, I’m pretty sure they debuted this weekend. The first time I clapped eyes on Doug, I was sitting on a JetBlue flight to Boston — Doug appeared in the middle of the Chargers-Broncos game I was watching on JetBlue’s in-flight satellite TV system. (So on that score, Doug is wrong — Visual Voicemail very clearly comes in a respectable second to the ability to watch live sporting events on cross-country flights when it comes to greatest advancements in the history of mankind.)
There are two other ads: Elliot would like you to know how easy it is to look up information on the Web, while Stephano signs the praises of convergence. (I would love to watch Stephano and Macworld’s Dan Moren debate this issue.) Unlike my man Doug, Elliot and Stephano did not appear mid-flight to urge me to buy an iPhone.
I’m sure you’re ready, willing, and able to share your thoughts on Apple’s latest ad campaign.
The other two are fine, but Doug's is, er, lame. One of the greatest advancements in the history of mankind? Who wrote that?
I've going to with the DVR being the greatest invention in the world - because that way I don't have to watch ANY commercials, including these new lame iPhone commercials!
Now, if they could get a DVR on either the plane, or my iPhone, then that would be the world's GREATEST invention!
These ads are fun (feel) spontaneous and make it look like they just set up a backdrop and people off the street wandered over to talk about their iPhones.
But in reality, I think they were shot in a studio with only the final wideshot shot out on the street. The audio until the end is perfect, with no "room tone" of street noise, the black background is perfectly black and the lighting is very specific.
Methinks they hired actors, shot it in a studio and then did the endings on location. I must admit the endings and seeing what they do at the end and where they are is my favorite part.
But they are clever, fun and a different shift from the initial set of ads that came out right before the iPhone hit the market.
I like 'em, even if they are much more produced than they want you to believe.
'kito
I like them. They seem like they could be genuine stories. I have a few gee-whiz stories like that about the iphone. Of course, I've also heard a few bad stories that could be good parodies of these commercials.