Apple Is Indeed Thinking Differently About Its Marketing Efforts
by Brent Dirks
June 10, 2014
While we learned earlier this month that Apple is now creating its television ads in-house instead of relying on longtime partner TBWA, a new report from AdAge is shining more light on the shift.
And according to the story, Apple has some big plans for its own in-house shop:
Amid criticisms that it has failed to innovate, Apple is increasingly taking marketing into its own hands. It's madly building an internal agency that it's telling recruits will eventually number 1,000 -- the size of Grey Advertising. It's pitting TBWA/MAL against this internal agency with "jump balls" to mine the best creative ideas, a controversial tactic with outside agencies, let alone an internal one. It's going after some of adland's boldest-faced names to staff its in-house shop -- in some cases, it's even poached executives from TBWA/MAL. And, in what once would have been seen as a sacrilegious breach of the Apple-MAL bond, it's been inviting some of the ad industry's top shops to pitch on major projects.That’s definitely a big shift for Apple, which has struggled to come up with innovative advertising since the disastrous “Genius Bar” ads that aired during the 2012 Summer Olympics. Apple, according to the site, has also been calling on other ad firms to work on projects since early last year. Two ads created by Apple’s in-house team have recently been unveiled to some positive press. Most recently, “Strength” focuses on using the iPhone 5s as a fitness tool. The pictured ad shows off a number of third-party fitness apps and activity trackers. “Powerful” first hit the air back in April and shows off how users can create content with the flagship handset. For other recent news, see: ESPN Radio And Local NPR Affiliates Arrive On iTunes Radio, Sony Takes Aim At The Apple TV, Announces Its Own $99 PlayStation TV Set, and AppAdvice International: Canada To Get Wi-Fi Calling, Price Hikes In South Africa.
