Apple launches two new TV ads for iPad mini
updated 01:21 am EST, Tue November 13, 2012
Commercials focus on photos, e-books in new ad push
On Monday, Apple launched two new TV commercials for its iPad mini. Similar in style to the "Piano" ad, the new spots compare the full-size fourth-generation iPad with the iPad mini -- with one ad showing off photos and photo editing, the other comparing the experience of reading e-books using iBooks. Each has a distinctive musical score to accompany the demonstration, with the "Photos" ad featuring a song called "Two of a Kind" by Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer.
Interestingly, both ads feature only the white-model iPads. While the photo-oriented ad relies on its musical choice for its humor, the e-book ad utilizes contrasting book titles (such as How the West was Won versus East of Eden) for its amusement value. Among the titles mentioned are The Sun Also Rises versus Valley of the Moon, and Moby Dick versus Gone Fishing. The iPad mini is then showcased, demonstrating page turning and bookmarking.
Both ads appeared to be aimed squarely at HDTV viewers. The photo viewing and editing showcased in the "Photos" ad, along with the small type featured in the e-books ad, seem unimpressive at standard definition. Viewed in HD sizes, the retina display of the latest iPad and the quality of the iPad mini's 1024x768 display become more obvious.
Both ads are ostensibly for the iPad mini, with the book ad demonstrating clearly the one-handed advantage of the smaller iPad model, even though both also demonstrate the capabilities of the latest iPad. Electronista recently published a full review of the iPad mini, finding it to be "better than every other 7-inch or 8-inch tablet on the market by a long way."
