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Veteran Apple ad man Ken Segall praises holiday ad – says Apple still thinking differently

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Ken Segall, the ad exec behind Apple’s Think Different campaign, and the man who put the i into iMac, has praised Apple’s new holiday ad, saying that it shows Apple is still thinking differently.

This ad is a holiday card from Cupertino. It lines up perfectly with the values Apple has communicated for years. It’s not about technology — it’s about quality of life.

The takeaway is much the same as one gets from the “Designed by Apple in California” ad, but I like it a hundred times more. In that previous effort, Apple simply told us why it is different. This new spot tells an interesting story and lets us draw that conclusion for ourselves. It’s a more artful, more memorable way to make the point.

Once again, Apple demonstrates it’s a different kind of technology company. Most talk about what goes into their phones — Apple shows what we can get out of them … 

Segall dismissed critics of the ad, saying that they are missing the point. Sure, the opening seems depressing, with a kid more interested in his iPhone than his family, but that’s the necessary setup for the payoff, which is giving his family a gift that will be remembered forever.

Segall worked closely alongside Steve Jobs for more than a decade, and wrote the book Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success.

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Comments

  1. Ilie Bivol - 10 years ago

    Hi my name is Ilie or Elijah in English. I am from Moldova. Moldova it is a very small country in Eastern Europe. I agree to what Ken Segall said :). Last year i bought an iPad Mini, it is a great deceive. and i love using it. On December 31st i made a small video while everyone from my family was getting ready to celebrate the most waited New Year. In this video you can see my grandma, she died this year on may 11th. This is the only video that we have with our grandma, and if it weren’t for my iPad Mini we wouldn’t have these wonderful memories of our entire family and our beloved grandma. Thank you Apple for the love that you put in your products. Much Respect: Ilie Bivol (Moldova)
    P.S. ( here is the video i am the guy in the blue shirt ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6MvWKhzvjc&feature=c4-overview&list=UU3pmajz-d8DWPHgXZIaGG9A

  2. charilaosmulder - 10 years ago

    Apple products prove to be great almost every time, but it’s Apple’s vision and philosophy that I love most. Now compare this to the shopping mall called the samsung homepage: http://www.samsung.com/us/

  3. Scott Adams - 10 years ago

    Apple, Ken and their marketing team deserve a CLIO for this gem. Well done.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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