Time and again, Apple has launched ad campaigns to remind us how important the issue of privacy is and how it is practically the only brand that cares about it. Now, privacy is a serious issue, which can make it heavy and dull to discuss, but trust Apple to add a touch of humor in the gravest of issues to lighten things up. It has done something similar in its latest ad highlighting how privacy is basically synonymous with the iPhone. And after watching the ad you might agree too!
“Some things shouldn’t be shared” but people do share them!
“Privacy. That’s iPhone– Oversharing” is a minute-long spot. It features a number of adults in their daily lives sharing their personal and often very inappropriate information out loud with strangers around them. They share details like what they have been browsing, what is their login, their text messages, what they are reading, their address, their health-related data, their credit card details, their age, and what they are buying online. This is followed by text on the screen that says “some things shouldn’t be shared. iPhone helps keep it that way.” This is followed by a man using an iPhone 11 walking quietly while using his phone, and as he raises his phone, the words “Privacy. That’s iPhone” appear, followed by Apple’s logo in the form of a lock that clicks closed to end the ad.
Serving some serious tea…
Have you ever been in a situation where you are trying to have a casual, impersonal conversation and the other person starts sharing all these weirdly personal details about themselves and you end up thinking to yourself, “umm, what am I supposed to do with all this information?” Well, that is the exact situation (only ten times more awkward) all these strangers in the ad found themselves in, while people around them shared intensely personal data with them. It is serious. It is hilarious! All of us have extremely private information on our smartphones – what we browse, our logins and passwords, credit card and debit card details, what we buy, what we read, what we eat. Everything. Now imagine all this information being out there in the public, for anyone to access. It would be kind of awkward, won’t it? More than awkward, it would be unsafe. Like wearing no clothes in public. That is exactly what Apple highlights in its latest ad for the iPhone – how it keeps everything you do on and share with it private.
We love Apple’s approach to the ad and how it makes you see what is wrong with your personal data being out there in the public domain without making it heavy and serious.
…with a heavy dose of sarcasm and humor
The ad is simple and funny! In just one minute, the ad will make you realize that if you are on a platform that is not secure, then these people who seem like complete fools to share their information with strangers, might actually be in the same boat as you. This makes one hell of an argument for iOS and has the potential to actually convert people who are always on the fence while choosing between iPhone and Android. In the ad, Apple does not show all these people using other smartphones, without actually making the phones too visible. But it does show the quiet person in the end with an iPhone, which pretty much makes a statement. Apple does not make a habit of putting out specs and numbers. It often highlights the functionality and how well a feature works on its phones. In this case, it has taken a slightly (read very) sarcastic and clever route where it does not highlight the functionality but gives you an idea of what life would look like if privacy on your smartphone is not respected. Oversharing in any scenario can do a lot of damage. Apple has provided us with a visual representation of this. Yes, it is exaggerated but if you think it is not important, just think of what would happen if strangers got the sort of information the people in the ad are sharing about themselves. Try and see if you can laugh then.
Serious…and yet funny!
The ad is not manly about Apple or any of its products. In fact, the iPhone only gets featured just once and for the most part of the ad, you do not see any product in the frame. You might not be able to tell what product ad it really is until you see the iPhone on the screen. And then, just like that, all the pieces of the puzzles fall into place. The minute the iPhone surfaces, you realize what this is about. It is the moment when the nail is hit right on the head after all that build-up. “Privacy. That’s iPhone” is such a funny ad that you will not skip it even if you have watched it multiple times. But underneath all that sarcasm, Apple also delivers a hard-hitting message. Because all the information shared by these people in the public domain can do some serious damage and we love how Apple has highlighted that without trying to sermonize or getting too serious. Apple has served some really serious tea with a heavy dose of sarcasm. We love it.
