Sometimes a hot streak goes on for so long that you start to believe it's guaranteed. You believe that winner is going to keep on winning, time after time. And then one day, they don't, and it's like a bucket of ice water dumped on your head. Apple's TV advertising has been this infallible winner. From "I'm a Mac", to "Hello", to the funky, colorful iTunes commercials, to the "iPad is…" spots, Apple always managed to bring us something as special and polished as its products. Well, the streak has ended, and I'm sad to say that a few very beloved actors have a part in derailing it.
The new iPhone/Siri commercials featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Zooey Deschanel are sadly flat and lifeless. They may be demonstrating the functionality that Siri provides, but they are doing it with none of the suave style that we have come to expect from Apple's advertising brilliance. Take a look for yourself:
I see what they were going for. They were trying to show these big stars as just ordinary people getting a helping hand from their virtual (artificial) assistant. The problem is that they became TOO ordinary, without the personality that makes them endearing to us. The scripts are downright boring, and the late attempt at humor fails in both spots.
Ironically, one of the first ads for Siri featured a normal person with dreams of stardom, rather than a star trying to look normal, and it's a much better commercial!
