Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor's Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt - MacRumors
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Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor's Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt

Photos have been making the rounds on Chinese social media today showing an Honor-branded advertising truck parked directly in front of Apple Canton Road store in Hong Kong, promoting the company's new Honor 600 series smartphone.

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The truck's ad features the slogan "It's our HONOR" alongside the phrase "orange to orange," which appears to be a play on the English idiom "apples to apples" – referring to a like-for-like comparison. The slogan is paired with an image of the Honor phone, in a finish that bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro's Cosmic Orange.

It's a brazen stunt for a brand that spun off from Huawei in 2020 before being sold off to another entity to bypass U.S. sanctions. Using Apple's retail store as a backdrop to pitch your rival device with a similar color is one thing, but when the design is arguably a shameless copy, you're definitely out of ideas.

Apple is unlikely to make a big stink about such guerrilla marketing, as it would only amplify it. And as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

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Top Rated Comments

The_Gream Avatar
3 weeks ago
Hey Macrumors, if your going to use that quote, at least use the whole thing

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shalev Lazarof Avatar
3 weeks ago
Another soulless brand, stinky core values right there.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3 weeks ago

Hey Macrumors, if your going to use that quote, at least use the whole thing

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”
To be fair, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" (and/or closely related phrasing) is the original quote/thought. The one you shared is a later version, attributed incorrectly to Oscar Wilde: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/01/no-oscar-wilde-did-not-say-imitation-is-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery-that-mediocrity-can-pay-to-greatness/

Both are good.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
capamac Avatar
3 weeks ago
The plateau is indeed a bad idea. The iPhone 4 and 5 had the best camera ... single camera, flush with back. That's how you do it. Don't need wide and telephoto and all that. Just the standard small camera is fine.



Attachment Image
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3 weeks ago

Another soulless brand, stinky core values right there buddy.
and naming the company Honor no less.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WilliApple Avatar
3 weeks ago
Honestly I thought that was the iPhone 17 Pro until looking closer.
Im guessing the average consumer will also think that its an iPhone 17 Pro truck lol and not a different brand
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)