The Best Tech Ad I’ve Seen Lately | Hacker News Reader

The Best Tech Ad I’ve Seen Lately

samuelstern.wordpress.com

115 pointshabosa33 comments

The only takeaway I have from this post is the continuing idiocy of the Apple vs Android vs Whatever "battle", as if it's some kind of exclusive choice.

"For the record, I’m a huge Android fan so it takes a lot for me to write a blog post about something impressive by Apple."

I own an iPhone 4S and a Nexus 7. They're both great devices. I've seen Windows Phone in action and it looks cool; Mozilla's B2G stuff is looking great and there are many different areas in which mobile OS providers can differentiate and be inspired by their competitors. This sort of religious war helps no-one and impresses no-one. It's the modern day equivalent of writing "M$" instead of "Microsoft" and we should all know better.

Get over yourself.

I didn't mean for it to come off like that. I use an Android phone but I am also writing this from a Macbook Pro and I have never had a non-apple computer, so I don't think I'm really part of the aforementioned "war". I was only clarifying that I'm not some Apple fanboy foaming at the mouth about every minimal Apple ad.

Worry not, I think it was pretty clear.

Some people around here just need to complain about something in every article.

You chose to focus on one aspect of a blog post that gives the reader a little bit of context and background to the author, but otherwise very positively outlines an advertisement that in his opinion executed everything it set out to, and then publicly decried him for barely doing everything your commentary actually does. I found myself nodding in agreement with all he said about the ad, and he said it well.

I think it's you that stands to get over one's self.

I agree with both of you.

It wasn't really directed at the author, it was more a general comment on this type of thing. So for that I apologise to the author.

I think this is pretty clever.

If you want to check out a few more subtle, minimalist ads (some award winning) from the likes of Lego and Kit Kat, check out the link

I really like the WWF and Orbit ads:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/the-nine-best-minimalist-...

The lego one is awesome.

Alternative, you can see some of the worst here (some also award winning)

http://copyranter.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/worst-8-print-ads-o...

I find it amusing that as I was clicking on this story I was thinking back to the last ad I really remembered and immediately thought of all the pretentious ipad mini ads I've seen that made me not want to ever buy one. I believe such a polarized response probably drives more sales than wishy washy wide appeal ads.

I first glance I thought he means the cover of the magazine and how it resembles the tiles in WP 8. It might have been a brilliant ad for MS as well.

Apparently MSFT thinks magazine covers are a great way to show off the new Windows 8 UI:

http://adage.com/article/media/windows-8-push-arrives-14-con...

It's just a little sad to see how they did it, when they could have done it so much better. :/

I dislike the aesthetic of the ad. The edge of the iPad is aligned exactly to the edge of the magazine. At first glance, I thought this was some sort of printing error: it look egregious. I like the asymmetry, but there is some sort of mottled grey texture behind the majority of the page which is grating. I appreciate that the cover depicted on the device is identical to that of the actual magazine. As for the exaltation due to the 'feat' that it "immediately displays how I can use the device in real life," I don't believe that that is unique to the ad. Most advertisements show how the product can be used. That sort of how ads work. There's very little value in showing a product that isn't functioning or showing a feature or facet that the product doesn't have.

It's a passable ad, nothing more.

The edge of the iPad is aligned exactly to the edge of the magazine.

This framing suggests that the iPad is to scale and isn't scaled down (as it might be assumed to be if it were centered). All of the blank space is also supposed to give you a sense of how small it is relative to the magazine.

I recognize the effect that they are trying to achieve. I'm just asserting that it looks bad.

When I first turned over my copy of the issue, I was holding the magazine by the corner exactly as one would hold a portrait iPad mini. In addition to showing the actual size, I think having it aligned with the edge of the magazine is meant to give the impression of holding an iPad.

Anecdotally, I thought the effect was neat, and spent a few more seconds than I otherwise would have on it.

That's interesting, I bet that's why they put it on the edge. I never thought of that because I was reading the magazine on a table.

The "mottled grey texture" is probably a result of my camera. The actual magazine is pure white (as with most Apple ads).

As with it being aligned to the edge of the magazine, I also agree that a little padding might have been nice.

I have an similar add (from the last New Yorker) in my possession, and the effect is pretty conspicuous. Maybe it's just with the New Yorker...

I saw this ad in TIME this weekend and I thought it was awesome. I'm not an expert on advertising by any stretch, any professionals like it as much as I do?

I love subtle, ingenious ads but I get the impression they may not be as effective in terms of conversions as traditional image projection type ads (ie showing the latest bmw model or an attractive model wearing a particular clothing line)

Why? Every single person holding that magazine clearly likes Time, so the image resonates. Whereas a nice car or model is hit or miss.

Plus, more people are going to buy an iPad than a new BMW.

[Edit: Best of both worlds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=640v8yBcXg8]

I think in this case the trick is that all people with the magazine want to do the action displayed in the ad.

Smart! The ability to complement the ad within something that you're already interested in.

And an eye-catching simplicity.

I'm not convinced that it's the best ad that the author has seen lately. It might be clever but does it command attention?

Yes.

This article was spoiled, a bit, by the "1 Tip of a Flat Belly" ad that showed up at the bottom. Maybe it's that I use an ad blocker on my main computer, but I'm not accustomed to blocking ads with my mind. But it sure would be nice to see good ads for a change.

I use an ad blocker, I didn't even realize I had ads on my blog...

You left out one other thing. The battle lines being drawn have a lot to do with the screen proportions. iPads are notoriously not widescreen devices and here Apple is showing exactly why.

It was done by Chiat\Day or as they are known on Campus "Media Arts Labs"

the most recent New Yorker also had this, I thought it was pretty clever.

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