Apple's New Ad Campaign Focusing on Branding and Enriching Lives

At the end of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote yesterday, CEO Tim Cook introduced a new TV ad focusing on how Apple's products and services enrich lives. The ad's tagline is "Designed by Apple in California", leveraging the statement displayed on every Apple product to make an emotional connection with consumers over the care the company puts into its products.

This is it. This is what matters. The experience of a product. How will it make someone feel? Will it make life better? Does it deserve to exist? We spend a lot of time on a few great things, until every idea we touch enhances each life it touches. You may rarely look at it, but you'll always feel it...this is our signature, and it means everything.

After years of product-oriented ads that have failed to stem market-share losses to devices built on Google Inc.’s Android software, the campaign will emphasize the quality and reliability of Apple’s ecosystem of products, apps and content, said the people, who asked not to be named because the plans aren’t public. The company previewed one of the ads yesterday. Others will follow in coming months, one of the people said.

According to the report's sources, the summer campaign will not focus on any single product, instead promoting the overall brand and seamless integration of the Apple ecosystem.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook reorganized Apple last year to encourage collaboration among units so that Macs, iPhones and iPads work better together, and the planned ads will focus on how the products can simplify users’ lives, hearkening back to Apple’s roots, the people said.

Apple has also launched a new "Designed by Apple" page on its website, offering a longer version of the text from the new commercial, as well as hosting the company's "Intention" video that opened yesterday's keynote.

Sources indicate that TBWA\Chiat\Day has become somewhat frustrated by a lack of clarity from Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller about what direction the company's ads should take. Pressure has reportedly increased following waning consumer enthusiasm for Apple's ads, such as the "Genius" ads that briefly aired last year. The new campaign seeks to refocus Apple's advertising efforts on the company and its connections with users, hopefully bringing a stronger and more cohesive message.