Some people tell me that two ads made using the same Shakr video style will inevitably end up looking alike. Let’s take a step back from Shakr and look at two very similar ads from the two biggest names in tech right now: Samsung and Apple.
The two ads are very similar. One ad is for Samsung’s full line of products but focuses on its Galaxy smartphones, and one for the iPhone 5. Both have soft music, vignettes of people in everyday situations using the products, and phones, tablets or TVs are worked into every single shot.
Here’s the iPhone 5 Ad:
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7qAY/apple-iphone-5-facetime
Here’s the Samsung Ad:
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7gty/samsung-amazing-things-happen-you-need-to-see-this
Despite using the same technique, these ads came across as being very different. And I daresay that one of them also came off as far more authentic.
Apple’s Authenticity
The Apple ad shows how people naturally use Facetime, the phone’s video chat feature. The people don’t mention the feature. They don’t mention the phone. No one in the ad says the words “Apple”, “iPhone” or “Facetime” except for the narrator at the end. Were I to sum up this ad in one word, I’d say authenticity.
Samsung’s Straight Play
The Samsung ad, on the other hand shows people using a plethora of Samsung devices to do a sort of show and tell. Each of the many protagonists uses some variation of the catchphrase, “You’ve gotta see this.” Up until about 28 seconds, the ad is OK, but then it makes a switch and becomes more about the features of the products than the people using them. The natural factor is lost. Were I to sum up this ad in one word, I’d say forced.
My conclusions are far from universal. The people who’ve voted on these ads at iSpot.tv favor the Samsung ad far more than the Apple one. Is it their poor taste or mine? Is it just that some people hate everything Apple?
What did you think of the ads?
You can check out more ads, see what’s popular and get inspiration for your own ads at http://www.ispot.tv
When you decide to make an ad, head over to Shakr.
