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Microsoft’s new Cortana ad mocks Siri for lack of contextual reminders and traffic reports

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUJfVZzxu3M

Microsoft has released yet another Cortana advertisement that mocks Siri for lacking contextual reminders and real-time traffic reports. Microsoft pokes fun at the personal voice assistant by claiming that it “just got bigger,” a sarcastic reference to the larger screen sizes on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Perhaps the Redmond-based company is overlooking all of the new features Siri gained in iOS 8.
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Apple debuts new iPhone 6 print ads featuring actual-size images of the phones

via The Mac Observer

via The Mac Observer

Apple is continuing the new round of advertising it kicked off with last night’s new iPhone 6 TV spots, this time making the jump to print media. The new ad was first detailed by The Mac Observer and features full-size images of both the iPhone 6 and its 5.5-inch “Plus” counterpart.

Though the two new handsets sold over 10 million units in the first weekend of availability, there are certainly still customers out there wondering which device will fit them better. The ad is a clever way to let people go “hands on” with the phones without even having to drive to an Apple Store.


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PayPal takes a swipe at Apple Pay security over iCloud celebrity photo leaks

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Screen Shot 2014-09-15 at 4.08.24 PM

PayPal appears to be calling out Apple and its newly announced mobile payment service Apple Pay with an ad appearing in The New York Times print edition (via Pando Daily) indirectly reminding people of last month’s disastrous iCloud photo leak when a list of celebrities found their personal photos an intimate situations published on the web. The ad reads “We the people want our money safer than our selfies,” but PayPal isn’t without its own security issue in the past.

Apple already has over 500 million iTunes account with most having credit cards, the company says, and iCloud features like iCloud Keychain manage and utilize credit card data for auto-completing credit card information.
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Apple releases new iPhone 5s ad “Dreams,” showcasing uses in medicine, firefighting, and more

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Screen Shot 2014-08-02 at 2.11.30 AM

Apple has posted its latest iPhone 5s, called “Dreams,” to its YouTube channel. The new ad shows a number of iPhone owners using their devices in various professional and personal pursuits ranging from art, to medicine, to fighting fires. The ad is set to Jennifer O’Connor’s new single “When I Grow Up,” which was released on iTunes earlier this week.

The app highlights a specific set of apps, which Apple has detailed on the updated page “Powerful” on its website. The apps (and external hardware) include Vaavud Wind Meter, Response Deck, and iTranslate Voice. You can see the full ad below:


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Samsung borrows a line from BlackBerry, calls iPhone users ‘Wall Huggers’ in new ad

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzMUTrTYD9s]

As Samsung has done with past TV commercials for its flagship Galaxy S5, its latest ad for the device again takes the iPhone head-on. The new ad, titled “Wall Hugger”, focuses on mocking the iPhone’s battery life while showing off the S5’s Ultra Power Saving Mode and removable battery features. And in usual Samsung-fashion, it also borrows a line from comments Blackberry executive John Chen made back in March… 
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Ratings show TV audiences still prefer TBWA Apple ads to in-house commercials

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Image via Bloomberg

Image via Bloomberg

Bloomberg has published an interesting look at audience responses to Apple’s recent in-house advertising efforts compared to ads produced by the company’s long-time agency partner TBWA Media Arts Lab. As you can see from the graph above, Apple’s two most popular recent ads were both outsourced, though the in-house “Chicken Fat” (or “Strength,” as Apple called it) manages to come in at a close third. The data doesn’t include the company’s latest ad, “Parenthood…”


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Apple airs new “Powerful” TV ad, promoting content creation on the iPhone 5s

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODmfmUWqlSA]

Update: Apple has now posted an accompanying microsite for the ad, featuring the ads shown in the video.

Apple has begun airing a new iPhone 5s ad this evening, first premiering on ABC during Agents Of SHIELD. This ad, featuring the interesting song ‘Gigantic‘ by the Pixies, takes a very different tone than the “Metal Mastered” ad released in October, which showed that gold really is best.

The ad shows common and uncommon tasks people can accomplish with their iPhone, such as creating music, tracking their health, shooting videos and photos, and playing games. The ad ends with the tagline “You’re more powerful than you think”. A new page on Apple’s website shows off the ad along with the featured software.


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Twitterrific adds tweet editing workaround as Twitter announces ad-based app installs

twitterific-icon-01Twitterrific for iOS gets a welcomed update today that notably brings the ability to edit tweets with a simple tap of the “more actions” icon. Of course, in order to get around the fact that Twitter doesn’t actually allow editing of tweets, what the function is really doing is quickly deleting the tweet and opening the compose window with original tweet’s text. From there you can quickly edit and share it as fast as possible.  

The app also gets a number of other bug fixes and improvements in the version 5.7.2 update available on the App Store now.

In other Twitter news, Twitter announced today on its blog that it’s launching a new mobile app promotion suite that will allow advertisers to promote mobile app installs both on and off of Twitter.

We have developed a full suite of targeting, creative and measurement tools to enable Twitter advertisers to effectively promote their mobile apps. These are being tested in a private beta, and you may have already seen some examples of these app promotions on Twitter. For marketers, this means a rich, native ad unit that combines the best of Twitter Cards and Promoted Tweets. Users can easily install and engage with apps, directly from the Twitter timeline.

While the Twitter Publisher Network will let mobile app devs run campaigns on Twitter with promoted tweets, Twitter is also teaming up with MoPub Marketplace for ads outside of its service. Twitter says MoPub is one of the biggest mobile ad exchanges in the world reaching over a 1 billion unique devices and serving “more than 130 billion ad requests inside Android and iOS applications every 30 days.”

Twitter has already been testing the new mobile app advertising suite with partners such as Spotify, HotelTonight, Kabam, and Deezer that you might have already seen in your Twitter timeline, but today it’s letting all U.S. advertisers sign up to the private beta through ads.twitter.com.

Samsung continues mocking iPad’s lack of features in new Galaxy Pro ads

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0bwRRxfuIk]

Samsung today posted a series of ads for its new Galaxy Pro tablets and with them continues the theme of directly mocking Apple. This time the target is the iPad Air. In one ad called “Multi User” (above), Samsung highlights the ability to have multiple user accounts on the Galaxy Pro tablet, a highly requested feature among iOS users that Samsung notes is still not available on the iPad.

Another ad, titled “Pixel Density” (below) takes on the iPad’s Retina display, claiming that the Galaxy Pro tablet has a better looking display due to a higher pixel density. Samsung’s Tab Pro 10.1 2014 tablet includes a resolution of 2560 x 1600 with a pixel density of 299 compared to the iPad’s 2048 x 1536, 264 ppi display. 
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Samsung mocks iPad Air & iPhone’s screen size in new Galaxy Tab Pro & Note 3 ads (Video)

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fThtsb-Yj0w]

Like it has done on several occasions in the past, Samsung is directly mocking Apple in its latest advertisement for the new Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1. The commercial, posted to Samsung’s YouTube page, is a clear parody of Apple’s Pencil ad for the iPad Air that has been airing on TV since Apple debuted it for the introduction of the new tablet in October of last year. Another ad for the Galaxy Note 3 (below) takes on the iPhone’s small screen size.

In the ad, Samsung mentions that Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 has an even thinner body than the iPad Air and also demos multitasking features that aren’t available on iOS. While Samsung doesn’t get into specifics in the video, we know the new Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 measures in at 7.3mm thick. That’ less than a millimeter thinner than the iPad Air at 7.5 mm. The ad also makes references to the Galaxy Tab’s  10.1-inch HD display, which comes in at a resolution of 2560-by-1600 at 299 ppi compared to the iPad Air’s 2048-by-1536 resolution at 264 ppi.
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Apple posts new 30-second iPhone ad created from Burberry fashion show footage

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKcBNbRSdyI]

In September of 2013, Apple and Burberry partnered up to shoot an entire fashion show using only iPhones. Today Apple released a new thirty-second ad for the iPhone 5s that features footage from the show combined with behind-the-scenes footage of the iPhones used to document the event.

The show was filmed with fourteen different iPhones throughout the venue just prior to the public release of the phone to the public.

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Tears everywhere: Apple features its new holiday commercial on its homepage

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Apple clearly loves its new holiday ad: it has now featured it on the Apple.com homepage, with links to both the ad and the ‘full home movie.’

The ad has been generally well-received, with most describing it as endearing – replacing Apple’s usual product-focused approach with story-telling based on how the phone might be used. Apple used a similar approach with a recent iPad Air commercial, shown below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Le9wvoY00]

Two of Apple’s most active Twitter users, CEO Tim Cook and SVP Marketing Phil Schiller have also tweeted out the YouTube link.

https://twitter.com/pschiller/status/412798014835535872

It is clearly something Apple is proud of and maaaybe its ad of the year?

Apple airs touching holiday commercial featuring the iPhone 5s and AirPlay

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImlmVqH_5HM]

As is tradition, Apple is airing a new holiday commercial this evening, this time highlighting the iPhone 5s, its movie making capabilities, and AirPlay with the Apple TV. The ad is set to the tune of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. As you may recall, last year Apple highlighted the iPad and FaceTime, with an ad set to “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. In 2011, Apple featured Siri and the then-new iPhone 4S.


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Microsoft hits iPad Air in new holiday-themed ads geared towards family usage

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsknmA96Jv0]

Microsoft has previously aired commercials that targeted the iPad comparing multitasking and mocked Siri. Microsoft airs new commercials in time for the holidays that pits the Surface 2 against Apple’s iPad Air. These three new ads demonstrate that Windows 8 can handle hands free mode, multiple accounts and has a USB port.

Microsoft’s first ad (above) shows the Surface 2 being propped up with the kickstand, using Bing’s Food and Drink app to demonstrate hands free mode. While cooking you can turn the pages by swiping them in the air, as opposed to touching the display and getting it messy. We admit it, that’s a nice (if niche) feature – though most recipes fit on one page, of course.

The second shows the Surface 2 being used in family scenarios, with multiple user accounts on the same device. These user accounts can have different apps, games, background – with parents able to monitor what their children are using. I’m not sure too many families bother to set up different accounts on PCs, let alone tablets.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knSd7-i9u1c]

The third shows how the Surface 2 has a standard USB 3.0 port, allowing users to easily connect to an external display. Because having to use a lead is so much better than Air Play …

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENxd851LuCw&w=640&h=360]

Apple unveils its first Gold iPhone 5s TV video ad, ‘Metal Mastered’

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYsSiaBZmRk]

Apple revealed its first magazine ads for the iPhone 5s this past week and they were gold, featuring the gold iPhone 5s. During today’s football games, Apple released its first TV ad with the same affinity for the ‘Midas model’.

The video above (via Verge) shows a similar video shown at the launch event with a quick demo of TouchID.

What conclusion can we draw from this?

Gold is best.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRwcIumf-mI&start=261]

Update: Apple has added the ad to its website


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Apple airs new ‘Plastic Perfected’ ad to showcase iPhone 5c colors

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8IAkbWJNfY

Apple has started airing a new advertisement for the iPhone 5c. The ad is called “Plastic Perfected” and it focuses on the colors and materials of the new iPhone model. Much of the advertisement is reminiscent of scenes from Apple’s executive promotional video for the device. The iPhone 5c launches this Friday alongside the iPhone 5s.


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Microsoft/Nokia already attacking Apple’s new iPhone 5s & 5c

Following today’s iPhone event where Apple unveiled its new colourful “lower-cost” iPhone 5c and the gold iPhone 5s with built-in fingerprint sensor, the competition is already weighing in on what it thinks about Apple’s upgraded smartphone lineup. Microsoft’s Windows Phone Twitter account sent out the tweet above with the headline “5 things Apple didn’t announce today” while promoting Nokia’s Lumia 1020’s 41MP camera.

So what are the five things Apple didn’t announce according to Microsoft? The company’s link takes us to an image of the Lumia 1020 highlighting some of the device’s features including the 4.5-inch AMOLED display, the ability to personalize the device’s start screen, a 41 megapixel sensor with a “reinvented zoom,” and the Nokia Pro Cam to “control shutter speed, focus, and white balance.” While Apple’s new iPhone 5s includes the same 8 megapixel camera as the iPhone 5, Apple has made some major improvements with the addition of a a dual LED true tone flash, a new five-element lens designed by Apple, a F2.2 aperture, a sensor with a 15 percent larger active area, auto stabilization, and bigger 1.5 micron pixels. It’s also added a burst mode that will continuously take photos a rate of 10fps, and the 120fps slow mo mode. The new flash specifically is meant to improve photos taken in low lightning conditions, something Nokia has focused on in past parody ads attacking the iPhone.

Microsoft isn’t the only one commenting on today’s announcement, as Nokia’s own account also sent out the tweet below noting that it did smartphones in various colors before the new iPhone 5c and joking that “Real gangsters don’t use gold phones.”

https://twitter.com/nokia_uk/status/377483408043036672/

While Apple did pack some big shiny new hardware features into the iPhone 5s with a fingerprint scanner, much faster A7 processor, and the new “M7” motion co-processor chip, it’s yet to be seen if Apple’s upgrade will be viewed as a minor refresh by the average consumer. One thing is for sure, Apple’s competition will definitely be focusing on the fact that today’s iPhone upgrades did not include a higher megapixel camera or larger display.

https://twitter.com/nokia_uk/status/377488875075035136

Apple continues new ‘Designed by Apple in California’ campaign with full two page print ads

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Update, June 29: Apple is running different full two-page ads in the Toronto Star and other Canadian newspapers today. The ads includes the same text and “Designed by Apple in California” tagline as the one above, but use alternate images that have also appeared on Apple’s “Designed by Apple” web page. Check out the other ads below.

We previously reported that Apple was starting a brand new ad campaign that focuses on its ecosystem and the people that use it rather than specific products, and today a reader notes that it has also brought the campaign to print with a full two-page ad in the Toronto Star (pictured above). We’d expect this to be the tone of its ads in the coming months, and the ad above (alongside its latest TV commercial), is also currently running on Apple’s “Designed by Apple” web page on Apple.com.
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Apple posts new iPhone “Music Every Day” ad

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDUKt_XgfJ4

Apple has just posted a new iPhone 5 ad to their YouTube channel, detailing many of the ways people use their iPhone to listen to music. The ad is reminiscent of the “Photos Every Day” ad that debuted a few weeks ago.

Like the previous photo-centric commercial, this ad is mostly void of a voiceover, simply showing a wide variety of iPhone users, and how they enjoy their music. Both of these ads take a different direction than previous iPhone commercials, highlighting not apps, but rather features of the device.

The minute long spot ends with the line “Everyday, more people enjoy their music on the iPhone than any other phone.”

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Latest Windows 8 tablet commercial uses Siri to mock iPad ads, pricing, capabilities

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86JMcy5OqZA?rel=0]

Microsoft’s latest television commercial for Windows 8 tablets uses a Siri voice-over to mock the iPad’s pricing and capabilities. The ad appears to frame Windows 8 tablets as more capable for productivity and more valuable for the price (via The Verge). What’s somewhat comical here is that one of the few advantages Microsoft touts for its tablets is the ability to run PowerPoint, something Microsoft has clearly been holding back from the iPad for some time now. Would it surprise anyone to see another couple of ads in this series focusing on Word and Excel?

Oh, and how much of that 64GB of space on the Windows tablet at the end is free for media? You’re lucky to get half of the space.

Microsoft’s ad is in similar style to Apple’s late 2012 advertisement to introduce the iPad mini. Apple’s ad below:


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T-Mobile launches its first iPhone commercial as it officially begins selling the $99 iPhone 5

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We can’t say we didn’t know it was coming. T-Mobile already started accepting preorders for the iPhone 5 back on April 5, and today marks the first day of official availability for the iPhone on the carrier’s revamped “Un-carrier”, no-contract, unlimited voice and data plans.

To accompany the launch, T-Mobile is also kicking off its first iPhone ad campaign today that begins with the first TV spot above (via TMO News). Of course the ad not so surprisingly focuses on its new carrier approach more so than the device itself:

“It’s the phone that’s revolutionizing phones, make sure its running on the carrier that’s revolutionizing wireless… Only T-Mobile lets your iPhone 5 be as great as an iPhone 5.”

Earlier this month T-Mobile started rolling out a carrier update for existing unlocked iPhones on its network that brings LTE support, improved battery life, visual voicemail support and more. It also started a campaign offering users trade-in value for their old devices to make the switch to T-Mobile.

The iPhone 5 is available to purchase for $99 down with a $20 per month financing plan through T-Mobile’s website and brick-and-mortar stores. As noted by TMONews, the carrier has also started setting up its in-store displays and advertising for the iPhone (Gallery below):
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Chevrolet kicks off new ad campaign highlighting Siri Eyes Free feature in 2013 Sonic

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AtPakZmF_M

GM announced in November 2012 that it would bring the Siri’s Eyes Free feature to the Chevy Sonic and Spark vehicles in 2013, and it officially became the first company last month to offer the enhanced Siri integration in its vehicles. GM has today kicked off a new marketing campaign to highlight the feature that allows drivers to activate Siri through a dedicated button on the steering wheel in its 2013 Sonic.

Apple originally announced a number of automakers that would include support for the feature in future vehicles, including: BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler, and Honda. Honda confirmed earlier this year that Siri Eyes Free would be available in its 2013 Accord, Acura RDX, and ILX models.

Some more videos showing off Siri Eyes Free are below:


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