Why Apple’s iPhone Privacy Ad is One of its Best Ever

Apple’s video ads often get criticized for many reasons, good and bad. But Apple’s iPhone Privacy ad is one of the best. Here’s why.

Loud, clear, and charming.

Many TV and internet video ads are unable to distinguish the product from the competition. There are several remedies to that. One is to use deceptive language. For example, the phrase, “No other product is better than ours,” means, basically and logically, all the competing products are equal.

Another technique is to make the customer feel better about the company itself. Warm fuzzies. If you like the company a lot, all things being equal, you’ll buy products from the company you like best.

All too often, the second technique doesn’t actually show any of the company’s products. That annoys those who think critically. Apple’s new privacy ad, however, does a whole lot of things right. Here it is.

Here’s why this ad works so well.

1. A compelling theme is developed and presented. People like their privacy. Privacy matters.
2. Many real-world examples are provided that demonstrate the validity of the theme.
3. The examples are presented in a charming fashion. A few are even humorous.
4. The music is snappy, fun, and breathes life into the video snippets.
5. No competitor’s product is shown. No competitor is compared to or criticized.
6. Apple’s product is shown in use.
7. The animated lock on the white Apple logo/padlock at the end punctuates the theme and reminds us who delivered the ad and who is making the affirmation that privacy matters and privacy is delivered.

Apple is often guilty of failing to tell us why we should select a given product instead of the competition’s. Instead, a kind of implicit smirk suggests that choosing Apple is, well just plain cool.

But this ad is one of Apple’s best ads ever because it checks all seven boxes above in one 54 second ad. It’s on par with Jeff Goldblum’s narrated, legendary iMac ad: “There is no step three.” I hope to see more like this privacy ad.

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